Garden waste fee is to stay

Caradon's charge to householders to take garden refuse away is to remain, after a 12-7 vote in the council's environmental services committee on Wednesday.

The much criticised charge was introduced several weeks ago - with householders told they must buy a roll of special white plastic bags for garden rubbish - at a cost of £5 a roll.

Individual councillors have received many complaints from irate residents, many who said that the dustmen were prodding open their normal rubbish bags to check if anyone was trying to sneak garden weeds in.

One lady complained that the dustmen had refused to take away a bag because it had bunches of dead flowers in it, another that the tops of leeks she had had for dinner were judged to be garden refuse.

Members were told that most of the problems had been in the first week and officials had now suggested that a little commonsense be used and that bags would not now be opened.

Before voting the committee heard that early indications showed waste had lessened since the new rules were introduced with approximately 50 tonnes less being collected in June.