91Èȱ¬

People in Shropshire are being asked for their views about plans to charge for garden waste collections and how to reduce the costs of running council recycling centres.

Shropshire Council has proposed charging residents a £52 annual fee for collecting garden waste from properties in the area.

Its six-week consultation, which starts on Tuesday, also asks whether people would be willing to pay more to keep all five of the authority's household recycling centres (HRCs) open.

The Conservative-run council has said it must make £62m of savings to "keep a balanced budget" in 2024/25.

The which runs until 20 May, also asks for peoples' thoughts on reducing the recycling centres' opening times and on introducing a permit or booking system to ensure they are only used by Shropshire residents.

Introducing a garden waste charge and closing two of the HRCs are among proposals approved by councillors as part of budget cuts.

It said 80% of councils in England already charged residents for garden waste collections.

“All householders in the area use our waste services and I want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in this consultation," said Ian Nellins, cabinet member with responsibility for waste management.

“Like councils all over the country, Shropshire Council is facing unprecedented financial pressure, mainly due to growing demand for social care and rising costs."

He added the collection of garden waste "was not a service we must provide by law" but one it wanted to continue, while using the income raised to help support other key services.

The survey is also available at Shropshire Local in Ludlow and Shrewsbury, at Whitchurch's Friday market and in libraries.

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