Shropshire residents can now sign up to £56-a-year garden waste collection service

The council's cabinet agreed in July to introduce an annual charge of £56 for the collection of garden waste from the kerbside as well as keeping all five of the council's household recycling centres open.

Residents who would like to have their garden waste bins emptied after October 1 this year can now sign up to the service, where subscribers will be sent a special sticker to attach to their garden bin that shows collection crews which bins to empty.

The 12-month subscription covers a period until September 30 next year, and the council has reminded households that garden waste collection will stop for anyone who hasn't subscribed by October 1. Leaflets about the new service are being distributed to all households around the region from today as the council encourages residents to sign up.

The moves are all part of measures to save £62.5 million from its budget in this financial year.

Food waste collections are also being suspended because councils cannot charge for this service. However, Shropshire Council says that it will introduce a new weekly food waste collection service by 2026 to all households, when it becomes compulsory for all councils in England.

Shropshire Council's deputy leader and cabinet member with responsibility for waste management, Ian Nellins, previously said: "Garden waste collections will stop from 1 October for anyone that hasn't subscribed by this date, so I encourage anyone that wants to keep using the service to sign up as soon as possible.

"As we've said before, Shropshire Council is facing unprecedented financial pressure. We must make significant savings and our plans include difficult decisions. We must look at other ways of creating income so that we can protect essential frontline services for those residents most in need.

"Though the collection of garden waste is not a service that the council must by law provide, it is one that we want to continue to provide. And as not all residents need or want the service we'll now be providing this as an opt-in chargeable service to those who need or want it.

"Some 80 per cent of English councils already charge for garden waste collections, and many have been doing so for several years. An annual green waste subscription charge of £56 is in line with our neighbouring councils - and will help us to make the required savings."

The council also reminded people who do not subscribe to the collection service not to put garden waste in their general waste bin. Shropshire Council says general waste bins that contain garden waste will not be emptied.

A payment window for the service is open until March 31 next year, and further information can be found on Shropshire Council's website.