A Norfolk council has slashed �400,000 from its refuse and recycling collection budget over the last year, but claims that services have improved.

Officials at South Norfolk Council are halfway through plans to save a total of �800,000 as part of proposals to make efficiencies and reduce costs. Members of the district council's scrutiny committee will discuss the changes to the authority's waste collection service on Wednesday.

The council has so far reduced its waste budget in 2012/13 by �400,000 by changing its collection routes to reduce the number of vehicles on South Norfolk's roads, reducing agency worker costs, and tendering the council's garden waste disposal service.

In a report to councillors, Bob Wade director of development and environment, said the authority's recycling rate had also increased from 39.3pc in 2010/11 to over 42pc whilst reducing the annual cost per home from �38.36 to �27.84.

He added that the number of garden waste subscribers had increased from 13,000 to 14,700, increasing the council's income.

'The council's refuse and recycling collection service is continuing to improve and through a combination of measures and actions overall recycling performance continues to rise. Further efficiency improvement work is in hand in areas such as procurement of goods and services, service enhancement, and income generation,' he said.

South Norfolk Council is also working with Norfolk County Council and Broadland District Council to bid for government funding for a food waste collection pilot scheme.