FAQ — “who do I contact about…?”
The questions people ask most often, with a straight answer and a link to the full entry. If yours isn't here, search the directory.
My bin wasn’t collected — who do I tell?
Shropshire Council runs bin collections. Report a missed collection within two working days of your collection day. It is not the Town Council.
There’s a pothole on my road. Council or someone else?
Local roads are Shropshire Council (highways) — report via their FixMyStreet system. The M54 and other trunk roads are National Highways instead.
A streetlight is out. Is that the Town Council or Shropshire Council?
It depends on the light. Most are Shropshire Council’s, but Shifnal Town Council owns 300+ of them. Check the Town Council’s published list/map first; if it’s not on it, report it to Shropshire Council.
Someone has fly-tipped rubbish. Who clears it?
Shropshire Council clears fly-tipping on public land and investigates it. Fly-tipping on private land is the landowner’s responsibility.
I want to object to a planning application. Who decides it?
Shropshire Council decides planning applications and takes public comments. Shifnal Town Council is a consultee — it can comment and object, but it does not make the decision.
There’s anti-social behaviour / a non-emergency crime.
That’s West Mercia Police. Use 101 or online reporting for non-emergencies, and 999 if it’s an emergency or a crime in progress.
My water pressure is low / there’s a leak in the street.
Water supply and mains leaks are Severn Trent, not the council. Their Leakline is 0800 783 4444.
The power’s gone off — who do I call?
Call 105 free from any phone to report a power cut. It routes to the local network operator (National Grid Electricity Distribution) by postcode. This is separate from your energy supplier/billing.
I can smell gas. What do I do?
Treat it as an emergency. Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 (free, 24/7), open doors and windows, turn off the gas at the meter, and avoid electrical switches and naked flames.
My street/garden is flooding — who handles that?
It depends on the source. Surface-water and ordinary-watercourse flooding is Shropshire Council (Lead Local Flood Authority); flooding from a main river is the Environment Agency (Floodline 0345 988 1188); sewer flooding is Severn Trent.
I need to complain about an NHS service.
Complaints about NHS-funded services go via the NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin ICB / PALS team. For urgent (non-emergency) health help use NHS 111; call 999 in a medical emergency.