Shropshire Council residents will continue paying for garden waste collections whoever wins the local elections on 1 May, according to BBC News. No party contesting the vote has committed to scrapping the £56 annual charge, at least in the near future. The fee covers fortnightly collections until the end of October.
The subscription window closed at midnight on Wednesday. Residents who missed that deadline must wait until autumn to join the scheme. More than 77,000 households have paid so far, which is above half of all properties in the area but short of the council's target of around 96,000.
The Conservatives say the £56 fee will remain unchanged for its second year. The Liberal Democrats say they would review it and cut or abolish it "if financially viable". Labour, the Greens, and Reform UK all indicated the charge would stay in place for now. Garden waste collections are free in neighbouring Telford and Wrekin, which has guaranteed no fee for at least two years.
Source: BBC News