Green waste subscription could be scrutinised

A controversial green waste subscription service in Shropshire could be scrutinised.

The former Conservative administration introduced the initiative last autumn, with anyone wishing to have their garden waste bins emptied asked to pay £56 for a 12-month subscription.

Currently, around 56 per cent of all eligible households (around 77,000) have signed up to the service, generating a gross revenue of £4.3 million.

This, Shropshire Council said, is the largest number of subscribers of any council in the UK, although is still below its initial target of 70 per cent (98,000 households).

The subscription window for 2024/25 originally closed on April 30. However, since then, the council has been taking details of those interested in subscribing. This led to several hundred people being added to a waiting list, meaning it was “operationally possible” to open the subscription window again. This will now end on October 31 with subscriptions for November 1 to October 31, 2026 opening at the end of September.

Prior to the news regarding the extension being confirmed, member of the public John Palmer asked the council’s Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee if it would freshly scrutinise the subscription timescales.

“Nearly half of eligible properties were not yet subscribed by April 1,” said Mr Palmer.

“During summer, the height of residents’ desire to join to use the vital scheme, the payment window is closed. For a council needing each and every
£56, you couldn’t make it up. The Conservatives’ chaotic introduction of this scheme failed residents.”

In response, Councillor Ed Potter, the committee’s chair, said: “I am keen that members of the committee consider any topic. We are holding a workshop to assess ways in which the committee may tackle a number of subjects which have been suggested by members over the past few weeks.

“Green waste is one of those topics which has been put forward by several members. There are always lessons to be learned when introducing new policies on a case by case basis.

“I think scrutiny can be a useful tool to analyse the roll-out, acting as a criticial friend to make recommendations to improve services offered by Shropshire Council for Shropshire’s residents.”