Funding shortage blamed for food waste delay

A "lack of government funding" has forced a delay in introducing a food waste collection service, Shropshire Council has said.

Local authorities had been asked to introduce separate collections for the waste by 1 April, but recent BBC research suggested one in four would fail to meet the deadline.

The council said that while it had received £3.6m to pay for collection vehicles, bins and other costs, there was not enough ongoing funding to support the service.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said in its recent multi-year settlement of more than £383m made available to the council, most of it not ringfenced enabling it to spend what it wanted on collections.

However, the council said that if it had introduced the food waste service as planned, it would have put "a significant financial risk on the council, at a time when it is already facing unprecedented pressure on existing essential services".

David Vasmer, the councillor responsible for waste management, said the authority recognised its duty to introduce weekly food waste collections from 1 April, but it was not achievable.

He said the council would look at its options and write to the government to explain its difficulty.

"Like many Shropshire residents, I am very keen to see a food waste collection service introduced, and we will now consider alternative options to help us achieve this in a way that is financially sustainable," Vasmer added.

A report on the issue is due to go before the council's cabinet on 15 April.

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