RESIDENTS across West Dunbartonshire will have to pay to have their garden waste collected and disposed of, it has been confirmed.

The introduction of a £60 annual charge for this service was agreed at West Dunbartonshire Council's (WDC) budget-setting meeting on Wednesday, March 6.

So what does this mean?

Permit holders will receive a fortnightly collection between April and November. 

Documents published by the local authority state there will be around 16 collections a year, which works out at roughly £3.75 per collection. 

This charge was introduced by WDC in an effort to plug its £8.3m budget black hole. 

Following the announcement of this fee residents shared their reactions on social media. 

One person said: "May as well take away all the brown bins as people aren't going to be able to afford this on top of everything else. 

"Soon to be no services left in West Dunbartonshire. Let the fly-tipping begin or black/green bins will have garden waste in them now."

A second added: "This is ridiculous, how can they justify £60 for a bin uplift." 

A third commented: "Fly-tipping will increase. No way will folk stump up for brown bins to be emptied."