Permits cost £50 per household and will be valid from June 1 this year to May 31 next year.

Householders who want the council to collect garden waste from their home need to purchase and display a garden waste permit on their brown bin.

If they do not have a permit, only food waste should be placed in the brown bin. If garden waste is placed in the bin and a permit is not displayed, the bin will not be emptied.

West Lothian Council said it was forced to make the move due to insufficient funding from the Scottish Government, combined with increasing costs.

The move to introduce a chargeable garden waste service will generate additional net income of around £1.15 million, which will go towards the cost of providing the garden waste collection service.

Lawrence Fitzpatrick, West Lothian Council leader, said: “After many years of sustained cuts to our budget, the options available to the council are now very limited; that is why the majority of councils already have similar charging schemes.

“Operational services – which provides vital services such as roads, paths, parks, recycling centres, waste and recycling – cannot sustain further cuts. We don't believe that is what local residents want, either. Without increasing income via charging, the only option available is to look at reducing services further and we don't want that. We want to protect services and protect jobs.”

To purchase a permit visit www.westlothian.gov.uk/brownbins.

£50 permit for garden waste service in West Lothian from June 1