If the grass grows a little high around Stroud this summer, the public toilets don't gleam and some windows don't sparkle then here is why.

Cuts in finance from central Government mean Stroud District Council has had to find ongoing efficiency savings worth an estimated £180,000 a year.

It was the first council in Gloucestershire to lose its revenue support grant from Government and in 2019/20 must pay back £549,000.

"We have to become a self-financing organisation, while keeping the standards of services for our residents as high as possible," said council leader Doina Cornell.

"This means we have to examine every budget very carefully and make sure we are running services as efficiently as we can."

Changes to the council's multi service contract, which includes grass cutting, window cleaning, waste and recycling have been discussed by a cross party group of councillors and will shortly be rolled out across the district.

Changes include the way the council's fleet of waste and recycling trucks are leased which is expected to save approximately £100,000 a year.

Other changes include reducing the frequency that grass is cut, public toilets are cleaned, and windows are cleaned in communal areas of council flats.

Residents will now be charged £10 towards the administration and delivery costs of replacement waste bins and recycling containers. There are no plans at this stage to charge for replacement food waste bins. First time delivery of bins for newly-built properties will continue to be free of charge.

Bulky waste collections will now be charged at £25 for up to three items and from February 2019 the garden waste scheme, currently at capacity in some areas, will cost £45 for a 10-month subscription.

Stroud District Council is led by a cooperative alliance of the Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat parties.