Deadline for garden waste subscription service extended with Shropshire residents 'expected to be out in gardens' over Easter

The authority has announced that householders will be given an extra four weeks to subscribe to the scheme that was introduced last year.

Residents can pay a £56-a-year subscription charge to have garden waste collected at the roadside.

More than 75,000 households have now signed up to the scheme - more than 50 per cent of all eligible properties - the council has said. 

And, the authority said it hopes householders will "take advantage" of the deadline extension to sign up. 

Initially, residents were given until March 31 to re-subscribe or sign up to the service, but with residents expected to be out in their gardens over Easter, householders now have until April 30.

An announcement by Shropshire Council said: "With many people expected to be out in their gardens over the Easter period they’re now being given until the end of this month to sign up."

Subscriptions will run until October 31. The council reminded householders that garden waste can also be taken to one of its household recycling centres, or composted at home.

Waste management services manager with Shropshire Council, Gavin Waite said: "Easter is late this year, and we know many people are likely to be doing jobs in their gardens over the Easter period - resulting in grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, branches, weeds, leaves and more that need to be disposed of. We’ve therefore agreed to extend the subscription deadline until after Easter and I hope people will  take advantage of this extension.

"We’re really pleased with the number of households that have subscribed to the garden waste service so far. If anyone hasn’t signed up yet and wants to have their garden waste collected over the spring and summer they’ll need to subscribe by the new  April 30 cut-off date."