Work is already under way to build a clearer picture of the council’s street scene assets, including litter bins, through improved mapping and routing. This will provide a stronger basis for future maintenance and replacement programmes.

Councillor Heather Kidd, Shropshire Council’s Leader, said:

“We know that missing or damaged bins are causing concern in Ludlow, Bridgnorth and other communities across the county.

“Years of budget reductions have inevitably affected our ability to maintain and replace street scene assets as quickly as we would like. However, the important thing is that damaged bins are being replaced.

“We do, however, need to manage expectations. Funding is limited, and we also need to make sure that any new bins we install can be emptied and maintained regularly. Simply putting in more bins without the funding to service them properly would risk creating further problems.”