THE council are set to introduce charges to remove some bulky household items such as settees, fence panels and mattresses.

They say that the fees will kick in from Monday, December 1 and are being brought in to “balance the books” as further cuts bite into services, they claim.

The charge is per appointment and for three items will cost £25. A council spokesman said that the new pricing structure will help to meet the cost of providing the service as well as helping towards savings the council needs to achieve to deliver a balanced budget.

Items that will remain free of charge include fridges, freezers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, ironing boards, old toys and small wooden furniture.

Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron tasked with overseeing the borough’s refuse collection service explained: “These items make up a small percentage of the overall number of bulky waste collections but require a disproportionate amount of resources to collect and dispose of.

“Residents often use this service to remove substantial amounts of material from their own property to avoid the inconvenience of taking it to the household waste recycling centre or to avoid the cost of hiring a skip or vehicle to take the material.

“The majority of bulky collections are still free, however. With the unprecedented cuts to funding the council may be forced to consider charging for all bulky waste collections in the future as is the norm with neighbouring councils.”

Residents are being asked to take large items to their nearest recycling centre where the majority of waste can be separated or used by local charities including Willowbrook and the HoneyRose Foundation.

To request a bulky rubbish collection call 01744 676789. The service is by appointment only and can also be booked online at sthelens.gov.uk/what-we-do/recycling-rubbish-and-waste/bulky-rubbish-online-booking-service/ People who have suitable transport heavier items can be taken to recycling centres in St Helens, Newton-le-Willows and Rainhill.