Shropshire Council is planning to reduce collections of black waste bins to every three weeks. It may also do the same for the purple recycling bin. Green bins, a paid for service, will remain collected every two weeks.
The council is also consulting on whether people would support increasing council tax above the projected 5% in April. Having spectacularly missed its budget cuts target this financial year and having to empty its reserves to avoid bankruptcy, Shropshire Council is asking whether there would be support for a larger increase. Birmingham, Brighton, Bradford and many other councils are planning increases of 10% or more.
The consultation on next year’s budget ends on Sunday 26 January. I urge everyone to take part.
Shropshire Council expects to end the year 2024/25 around £37.3m over budget. The top estimate of the deficit is nearly twice that and the lowest estimate is only slightly lower. To avoid going broke, the council will need to use almost all of its £38.3m reserves fund to balance its budget. But that will leave just £1.5m in reserves, a level that its chief finance officer has said is not safe.
The council is consulting on two options for higher council taxes. An increase of 4.99%, the maximum allowed without a referendum or government permission and an increase of more than that. It uses the example of an extra 2% rise but it is not consulting on a specific amount. No information has been provided on what services would be protected if a larger increase was imposed or whether the council is considering an even higher increase like many other councils.
Fearing that most people wouldn’t like three weekly bin collections, the council is not asking whether people want to retain the current two weekly collections. It is only offering two options. Collecting black bins every three weeks and purple bins every two weeks (along with the green bin) or collecting both bins every three weeks. If you want to retain the two weekly black bin collection, you may want to strongly oppose the other options and leave comments to that effect in the box provided. Alternatively, you can email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk.
The consultation closes at midnight Sunday. Take part here.
There is so much fly tipping at the moment ! Which in the end it costs council to clear it up ( no saving there ) I think reducing collections will only make fly tipping worse. As for increasing council tax ! Normal work people on minimum wage are struggling financially every day . We are just living to work !!