The service was suspended temporarily to allow other services to be prioritised in the face of potential staff absences, but a steady increase in staffing levels has now enabled the council to resume this service across the conurbation.

Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, said, “When the coronavirus problem first began we knew it would cause staffing issues and we made the decision that refuse, recycling and food waste collection should be the priority.

“Fortunately staffing levels are stable and we are now in a position where we can resume garden waste collections. We will notify subscribers to this service immediately if the situation changes but we are delighted to be able to provide this valuable service once again.

“We recognise that garden waste is a paid service and we will be in further contact with subscribers who’ve had their services disrupted later in the summer when we know more about how this may be addressed.”

Everyone signed up for a collection has or will be notified of the date of their next collections. To register or for further details of the garden waste collection service, please visit the garden waste section of the BCP website.