Those who use Harrow Council’s garden waste service have less than a week to sign up for a direct debit discount.

The discount is part of a few changes to the cost of the service, which can be used all year round or through the summer months.

Charges in the summer are set to go up by £10, though this will cover an extra month.

The fortnightly summer collection service has been extended from April to October, having run from May in 2019/20.

Those who make use of the service will now have to pay £50 as opposed to the previous fee of £40, while those on council tax support will see their charge go from £15 to £20.

The full year service costs remain the same as last year at £75 and £25 respectively.

Those who sign up to the summer service but decide to extend their subscription to an annual one will have to pay an additional fee of £40.

The council scrapped the £5 bin hire option for 2020/21 – first-time subscribers who need a bin will have to pay £30 for one, while replacement bins are the same price.

It has also introduced a £5 discount for those who sign up by Thursday (February 27) and pay by direct debit.

Cllr Varsha Parmar, responsible for the environment at Harrow Council, said: “With Spring approaching soon, many of us will be turning our eye to gardening. So, it’s the perfect time to sign up for our garden waste service.

“This year, we’re offering £5 off as a thank you for using our service and we’re also extending the summer service to seven months. So whichever service you subscribe, we promise you’ll reap the benefits.”