NEW waste charges which have sparked a storm of protest are to stay.

But councillors have confirmed amendments to make some collections cheaper .

Kirklees Council leader Clr Kath Pinnock said the alternative to charges for the 10% of people who used the bulky collection service would be higher council tax bills for everyone.

Instead of the present charge of £12 for collecting up to three items, from December 1 there will be a charge of £6 for one item, followed by £3 each for additional items at the same collection.

There will be no charge to low income householders who have a Kirklees Priority Passport and people who are on the assisted wheeled bin collection scheme.

The cabinet came under pressure after a council scrutiny panel urged that charges were axed.

But Clr Pinnock said: "The budget for the current year included charging for bulky waste. That aspect was not opposed.

"If the council as a whole wants to scrap charges it will need to include the cost of doing that in next year's budget, which will be decided next March."

The cabinet plans to meet the panel which had recommended dropping charges.

"The panel has recommended dropping the charge, but hasn't put forward its suggestions for covering the cost of more than £500,000 a year of doing that," she said.

"The cost to the council taxpayer of disposing of waste is high.

Clr Pinnock revealed it cost around £12 a tonne, plus landfill tax, to dispose of the 234,000 tonnes of waste a year in Kirklees.

The decision was slammed by Labour group leader Clr Mehboob Khan.

He said environmental services underspent last year by £500,000.

"We believe there is ample scope in the present budget to scrap the charges. People are not prepared to pay and fly tipping is the result."

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