From 17 July Vale of Glamorgan Council will no longer collect garden waste for free. Residents are now invited to make a one-off payment to cover the cost of their garden waste collections for the remainder of this year.

 The Council is charging either £20 for up to eight bags to be collected fortnightly from July until November or £30 for more than eight bags.

 From December to February residents who subscribe to the service can also request additional collections, which will be offered on a first come first served basis. 

 Residents can either subscribe via the Council's website www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/gardenwaste or call 01446 729566 

 Residents who choose not to subscribe to the service can still take their garden waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre for free or compost it at home. 

 New three weekly collections for non-recyclable waste will also begin from 3 July.

 Letters will be sent to residents advising of their new collection dates. New refuse collection calendars will also be available on the Council's website from 19 June.  

 The Council will still collect the same amount of non-recyclable waste from your home, residents can put out up to three black bags every three weeks.

 Those who currently use hygiene caddies may wish to purchase an additional caddy and those with an additional purple bag allowance can continue to use these. 

 More information and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the Council's website at www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/recycling