A councillor has questioned why Shropshire Council does not accept other means payment for green waste to be collected.

Since November 4, anyone who wants their green waste to be picked up need to pay a fee of £56, which is valid until October 31.

However, the only way to pay is by electronic means, something Councillor Martin Bennett from Oswestry Rural Parish Council is disappointed about.

“Why is it that Shropshire Council assumes that everyone has access to IT equipment, and of course in the rural areas where a string signal or access to the internet may not be,” said Cllr Bennett.

“For people – including myself – who dislike electronic transfers of money, as one misplaced digit or forgotten password, or no access to an emailed pin code can turn a simple payment into a nightmare, why Shropshire Council – while eager for the funding – apparently refuses to take payment by cheque keeping in mind that cheques are still a legal way of paying for goods and services.

“Is the council deliberately refusing to take a legal means of payment and if so are they not breaking the law?”

A Shropshire Council spokesperson said: “The Cabinet decision was not to provide any discounts or exemptions. However, a subscription window of six months up to March 2025 was agreed so that residents have plenty of time in which to budget should they wish to subscribe to the service.

“As long as residents have access to a landline or mobile, they can call the Shropshire Council Customer Service Centre or our contractor MiPermit, who will process the payment for them over the telephone.

“The use of electronic payments has been in place in Shropshire for several years and the use of the MiPermit system is the most effective way of residents subscribing and being able to make an instant payment.

“Whilst we understand that some residents may want to pay through cash or cheque, we do not presently have a process in place to do this, although it may be something we consider in the future depending on the level of demand.

“Not accepting these means of payment is not breaking the law as we do not have an alternative process in place.”