A controversial £30 charge for garden waste collections in Aberdeen could net the local authority nearly £1million a year.
According to documents seen by the P&J, council bosses are expecting an income of between £792,000 and £990,000.
Under the plans, residents who put out garden waste for kerbside collection will have a special sticker fixed to their brown bin after paying a £30 annual fee.
However, there will not be a charge for people using the bins for food waste.
The new charge was introduced by the ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration in the budget this year as they made savings of more than £40million.
Similar schemes have been rolled out in Moray and the Highlands, with unhappy residents fearing the new policy could lead to increased fly-tipping.
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill said his party’s stop the garden tax campaign would continue.
He added: “People would rightly expect some more answers given they want to roll this out in the next three months.
“The Liberal Democrats are against this scheme on principle as we believe it will reduce recycling rates and is simply a money spinner for the council with a service that people pay their council tax for.”
But council co-leader Douglas Lumsden said that the authority had been “forced” to introduce the charge – adding that the Liberal Democrats had drafted up budget proposals to “cut vital services”.
He said: “This charge is becoming common across Scotland and we have been forced to introduce it due to the appalling funding settlement we receive from the Scottish Government.”
