Petition to scrap Shropshire tip booking system hits 1,000 signatures in 24 hours

Liberal Democrat Councillors at Shropshire Council launched the petition on New Year's Day, and Shrewsbury councillor Alex Wagner says in just 24 hours, the petition has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

He has thanked residents for their support, which he said means the campaign has crossed the first hurdle for petitions in Shropshire, garnering enough support to ensure that the issue can be scheduled for a council debate at the last meeting of the term in February.

The household recycling centre booking system began in November and Shropshire Council's Conservative cabinet said the move would prevent people using the service from outside the county and will improve efficiency and safety.

But Liberal Democrat councillors described the controversial policy as 'using a sledgehammer to crack a nut' and are calling for it to be scrapped.

Councillor Wagner is urging people to keep signing and sharing the petition in order to "send the clearest possible message" to the Conservative-controlled local authority over the issue.

He said: "Thank you enormously to everyone who has signed our petition. We've been really taken aback by how strong the response has been, with over 1,000 signatures in under 24 hours. 

"This is a clear indicator that the public are not on board with the changes, and frankly can't see the point. The new system makes life harder for ordinary Salopians, the layer of bureaucracy to operate it is costing taxpayers, and we're already seeing reports of increased fly-tipping.

"This petition is a way to send the clearest possible message that people want to see less bureaucracy and better services - not the other way around."

The petition can be found online at: shrewsburylibdems.org/scrap-tip-bookings.