Residents could be charged £70 a year to have their green waste collected, despite strong opposition from people who gave their views on the proposals.

Barnet Council environment chiefs say a proposed charge for garden waste rounds should go ahead, claiming it could save £800,000 a year and encourage more people to compost their waste at home.

An environment committee report points out that 59 per cent of UK local authorities already charge for garden waste rounds, including 20 London boroughs.

But more than 80 per cent of the 6,500 people who responded to a consultation said they were opposed to the move, with only 12.3 per cent in favour.

Some said they thought charging for the service would encourage people to fly-tip and illegally dispose of their waste, while others commented they should not have to pay an extra fee on top of their council tax.

Even though many are opposed to the plans, the consultation suggests 37 per cent of respondents would continue to use the service if a charge was introduced.

Council officers say the move would help to meet Barnet Council’s substantial savings target of £70 million over the next five years, as well as complying with recycling targets set by the Mayor of London.

They also claim it would “enable the council to continue the additional investment of £500,000 in street cleansing, continue the ongoing capital investment in upgrading roads and pavements and…potentially enable further investment in improving the cleanliness of the borough”.

Councillors will decide whether to approve the charge at a meeting of the environment committee on Monday (January 20). The meeting will be held at 7pm at Hendon Town Hall.

If they give the go-ahead, the £70-a-year garden waste charge will be introduced in April.