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A controversial charging policy for garden waste collections has come into force in South Gloucestershire.

South Gloucestershire Council is charging a £36 annual fee for green bin collections, which it says will generate up to £1.2m a year.

The authority said residents who did not want to pay the annual fee could still dispose of green waste at their local recycling centre.

But Conservative councillor Ian Adams described the charge as "anti-green".

He said it would lead to a surge in fly-tipping and a cut in recycling as more people put their green waste in their black bin.

"Not only will this stealth tax damage the environment, but it will also damage communities by increasing the cost of living and creating animosity between neighbours," he said.

Lib Dem councillor Claire Young said the council had to make "major savings" and people who did not want to pay the charge could use alternative recycling methods such as composting and sharing green bins.

The green waste charge was brought into force by the cross-party-run South Gloucestershire Council's Communities Committee.

The authority said about 20,000 homes had already signed up for the service.