GARDEN waste recycling collections will move to a year-round schedule after Redbridge Council secured £1.1 million in funding from the government.

The council currently provides a weekly collection of garden waste between April and November.

But between November and March it will only collect garden waste if residents book.

The council submitted a bid to the Department of Communities and Local Government as part of its Weekly Collections Support Scheme to fund an all-year round service for three years at a cost of £630,000.

It has also secured funds of £480,000 to buy three new waste vehicles.

As part of the deal, the council has committed to funding the scheme for a further two years, up to 2016/17 at an estimated cost of £450,000.

The new year-round service will start next year.

Alex Wilson, Redbridge Council cabinet member Environment & Transportation, said: “The existing service is already hugely popular and accounts for around a third of the borough's doorstep recycling figures, so it's great to be making it even better still.”