Green waste collections across Bath & North East Somerset are set to restart on Monday 28th January, five weeks earlier than planned – but the local authority has still come in for criticism, because Christmas Trees will not be collected as they would normally in the New Year.

Bath & North East Somerset Council says it has been able to bring forward the resumption of garden waste collections after making savings in waste disposal – the direct result of an increase in the amount of waste local people are recycling.

There will be no garden waste collections from Monday, 3rd December to Friday, 25th January inclusive. The Council’s paid-for fortnightly garden waste collection service will start again on Monday, 28th January.

Christmas trees should be taken to local Recycling Centres, or they can be put out for collection free of charge on garden waste collection days between 28th January and 8th February.

Speaking about the move, Councillor Tim Ball (Lib Dem, Twerton), commented: “Bringing back the garden waste collections a month earlier is a partial climb-down by the Conservative Cabinet, and we are glad they are starting to listen.

“However, the fact remains that residents will still be paying the full year’s subscription for ten months of service.

“It’s also quite impractical to expect residents to hang on to dead Christmas trees until the end of January. Most people are still likely to put their trees out for collection early in the New Year, when they take their decorations down. I expect we will still see trees sitting around on the streets for most of January.”