A PROPOSAL to make Poole residents fork out another £5.80 to have garden waste collected have been rejected by councillors fearing a mass drop-out.

Borough of Poole’s environment and overview scrutiny committee turned down a plan to increase the fortnightly kerbside green bin collection from 38 weeks to 44 and raise the charge from £31 to £36.80.

Cllr Tony Trent, chairman of the committee, said: “We suggested there ought to be some kind of consultation or something that provides evidence it’s needed and maybe it can be looked at next year.”

He said members were concerned there would be a high drop-out rate due to a steep rise in the charge and they agreed that a yearly inflationary increase of 2.6 per cent, which would add 80p to the charge, was appropriate.

“Officers had calculated a worst case scenario of a 20 per cent drop out,” he said. “I suspect there would be quite a high drop out.

“There are still a lot of people who feel it shouldn’t be a chargeable service anyway.”

While this would not increase income much over 2014’s anticipated £600,000, there would be no extra cost to provide an extended service, he said.

When the council considered introducing a charge in 2011 to extend across the borough what had been a free scheme for 20,000 residents, it received a 350-strong petition of objection