RESIDENTS of Bridgend county borough will have to cough up for their own rubbish bags in the future as the local council looks to save money on its latest budget proposals.
The move is part of the authority’s proposed budget for the 2025-26 financial year, with overall savings of around £9.1m still reportedly needed in order to balance the books.
The saving, which is described as already being agreed, will be implemented from April 2025 and will see the withdrawal of free blue household rubbish bags which are currently delivered to homes in the area bi-annually.
A report which contains a number of saving measures says that residents will have to provide their own bags for the “containment of refuse” from then on though acknowledges that this will likely be an “unpopular change”.
It is hoped that the move could eventually save Bridgend Council around £220,000 per year and is part of wider budget plans worth a total of £530m.
This comes after a 4% increase in funding from the Welsh Government’s provisional settlement in December 2024 though the authority says with cost pressures and increasing demands on services difficult decisions will still need to be made.
The proposals will also look at a potential council tax increase of 4.5% as well as a number of other saving options such as reducing the local CCTV service, ending the meals-at-home service, and carrying out further reviews on home-to-school transport.
It could also see savings of 1% made against school delegated budgets with controversial plans to withdraw funding from music services in Bridgend schools also being discussed.
Other savings could include increased bulky waste charges rising from £30 for three items to £35 along with a 20% increase to fees for bereavement services such as burial charges.
Following scrutiny and public consultation the draft budget for 2025-26 will now be decided by members of full council on February 26.