BROMSGROVE garden waste collectors will now take on an extra load after councillors signed off a deal to provide the service for neighbouring Redditch.

District councillors passed the plan last Wednesday, which allows Redditch Borough Council to share the service by paying Bromsgrove £76,050 for 3000 bin collections.

Bromsgrove will make £11 per bin collection – £33,000 based on 3000 collections – meaning the current total cost of the service will reduce from £72,000 to £39,000.

Cllr Peter Whittaker, portfolio holder for environmental services, said after the meeting: “It is a good deal for Redditch and a good deal for Bromsgrove.

“We collect recyclables and rubbish every week and it makes the best possible use of the man power that we have.”

Councillors were told Bromsgrove has the capacity within their current service to accommodate between 4,000 to 4,800 additional customers.

But cllr Stephen Peters said: "In other words, the service that we are providing for Bromsgrove currently is overmanned."

Questions were also raised over whether the deal was long-term.

Only Bromsgrove will pay extra agency staff costs and additional vehicle hire costs, leading cllr Luke Mallett to question why Bromsgrove is “taking all the risks”.

But the council insists operating costs will be recouped as the service is based on a 'cost recovery' model.

While in agreement with the deal, cllr Sue Baxter called for a review of the service at a later stage claiming it was dependant on current house numbers.

She added: “If we have 2,500 houses built in the not too distance future it could throw a complete debate into this.

“To me this is a short-term fix. It is an easy way to get an easy bit of money but without a long-term commitment.”

Councillors backed cllr Baxter’s proposal for a review, which will take place at the 3000 customers mark once the service begins for 20 weeks from next March.