A CHARITY has been shocked to discover that they now have to pay to get their bins emptied.

Middlewich Community Centre only found out by chance when they asked why their refuse had not been collected.

The registered charity was told by Ansa,which delivers waste and recycling services for Cheshire East Council, that a new charge has been introduced.

The community centre now has to pay £10 per bin per week for their refuse collection.

Secretary Reg Jackson said: “We think this is ridiculous. We weren’t consulted and we had not been informed.

“We are a registered charity and have had our bins emptied for the last 48 years that I have been here.

“We were told to take it or leave it.We’re not very happy about it.”

The centre only received notification from the council about the new policy after Reg enquired.

“We didn’t receive a letter until I phoned them up,” said Reg, 79.

“If we put just one bin out that will be £520 a year. It just takes money off what would do within the community.”

Cllr David Latham said: “This hasn’t come in front of the town council. It’s clearly not on. It seems completely wrong. I will take it up directly with Ansa at our next liaison committee.”

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A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “A number of legacy agreements were in place for the council’s environmental services company, Ansa, to collect refuse from organisations, where some were chargeable and others not.

“Such a scheme needed to be applied uniformly and this has happened in line with the major shift in our waste collection service, since November 2019, as the council progresses towards its recycling and carbon-neutral targets, involving reduced vehicle journeys, more recycling and composting.

“Where an organisation is receiving an income, for example from room hire or the running of a café, the waste is considered to be commercial and therefore incurs a charge. A letter explaining the change has been issued to Middlewich Community Centre, with the option to either use Ansa’s services or those of another service provider.”