New Forest District Council is set to spend nearly £1.5 million a year more than planned as it rolls out a new waste recycling scheme.
The authority is having to spend extra cash on recruiting more staff to stop Forest ponies, horses and pigs from accessing food waste caddies.
Council chiefs previously agreed that food waste caddies should be collected from behind residents’ gates.
This has prevented animals from accessing the caddies but has meant the authority has needed to increase the number of collection rounds.
The council has also agreed to spend £967,000 on buying and renting more bin lorries.
Speaking at a recent meeting, Councillor Jack Davies (Lib Dem, Pennington) said it was a huge amount of money that “sticks in the craw” as the previous Conservative government had promised funding for new requirements it placed on councils for waste collection.
He said: “Like many of (former Prime Minister) Boris Johnson’s promises, it didn’t stand up, and we didn’t get lots of money for it.”
The new scheme is being rolled out in phases. The third and final phase of the district’s new waste and recycling service will roll out to Hythe, Fawley, Lyndhurst, Marchwood, Totton, and surrounding areas from May 2026.
Portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, Councillor Geoffrey Blunden (Con, Ashley, Bashley and Fernhill) said bringing in all the areas will boost the district’s recycling rates.
Cllr Blunden said the district’s latest recycling rate has increased to 43 per cent of all waste collected. The latest published figure is 34 per cent.
Cllr Blunden said: “Completing this stage will bring every household onto the modernised service, supporting higher recycling rates, cleaner streets, and better working conditions for our crews.”
Councillors at full council on December 15 approved the extra £1.5 million spend a year, the new lorries, and a £301,000 maintenance fund for the district’s 19 recycling banks.
It is hoped the use of recycling banks, which take glass and mixed recycling containers, will prevent residents’ bins from overflowing and protect animals and reduce litter.
Council members approved the funding measures with 39 votes in favour and one against.
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