Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s scrutiny committee was asked to consider proposals at its 4 November 2026 meeting to increase a range of household waste charges, including the annual garden waste subscription rising from £66 to £69.
Residents in Tonbridge and Malling could pay more for garden waste collections, bulky refuse removal and stray dog redemption from April 2027, under proposals put to the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee for its meeting on 4 November 2026.
Garden waste subscriptions
The annual garden waste subscription charge was proposed to rise from £66 to £69, with second and third bins increasing from £42 to £45. Officers noted that approximately 28,000 households — around 55% of estimated eligible properties — are currently signed up to the service. The current county average charge across Kent district and borough councils stands at £63.97, meaning Tonbridge and Malling’s existing charge is already marginally above that average. The Head of Finance confirmed that an increase of £3 per bin had been assumed within the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.
Bulky refuse and fridge collections
The standard charge for collecting up to six items of bulky household refuse was proposed to increase from £75 to £79, with fridge and freezer-only collections rising from £46 to £49. The concessionary rate for residents receiving Council Tax Support would increase from £15.50 to £16.50. Officers attributed the rises to annual indexation of contract costs, estimated at between 5.5% and 6%. The papers noted that only Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council among neighbouring authorities offer a concession linked to Council Tax Support.
Other charges
The charge for a one-off return refuse collection — available when a resident has missed their scheduled collection — was proposed to rise from £28 to £30. The contract and administration fee for stray dog redemption, where a dog is taken to kennels, was proposed to increase from £94 to £97, in line with a 3.5% rise reflecting the current RPI figure cited by finance officers. The statutory prescribed redemption fee of £25, set in legislation, was proposed to remain unchanged.
New charge for property developers
Officers also proposed introducing a new charge for property developers requiring waste containers for new builds. The papers said the charge would be based on actual container costs and contract delivery costs at the time of request, plus a 10% administration and management charge. Officers noted that fixed prices could not be set in advance because container costs vary depending on stock availability, manufacturing lead times and oil prices. Implementation was said to be subject to further liaison with Finance and Planning colleagues. The council currently meets the cost of purchasing new and replacement containers from its capital plan, with £159,000 provided in the current financial year.
The report’s recommendations are directed to Cabinet as a key decision. The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.