A £70-a-year subscription service for garden waste collections will start from Saturday, May 9, Barnet Council has announced.

Green bin rounds were supposed to start on April 6 but had to be pushed back due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The council now has the staffing levels to support the service and has contacted subscribers to confirm their first fortnightly collection day, which will either be Saturday, May 9 or Saturday, May 16.

Subscriptions will be valid for 12 months from when collections begin, the council confirmed.

Customers who have received their garden waste sticker from the council should ensure it is fixed to the centre of the lid of their green bin before their first fortnightly collection.

Councillor Dean Cohen, chairman of Barnet Council’s environment committee, said: “We are pleased that we can now introduce the service knowing we have staffing levels to do this as well as maintaining weekly refuse and recycling collections. Thank you to our customers for their patience and understanding.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their continued commitment and hard work in keeping these vital services going.”

The annual charge is £70 for a household’s first green bin and £50 for each extra garden waste bin.

Residents can sign up for the service here: www.barnet.gov.uk/gardenwaste

To check your collection date, visit: www.barnet.gov.uk/recycling