1The city council voted late last night to ban single-use plastics in all public venues, catching few observers by surprise.
2Under the new rules, food stalls, cafes, and market vendors must switch to compostable packaging within the next eighteen months.
3What surprised many residents was not the ban itself but the speed at which it will be enforced.
4Business owners, while broadly supportive of the environmental goals, have warned that the transition costs could squeeze smaller traders hard.
5The council has promised grants of up to five thousand pounds to help independent shops adapt before the deadline.
6Critics point out, however, that similar schemes in neighbouring towns have struggled because enforcement officers were stretched too thin.
7It is precisely this enforcement gap, campaigners argue, that turned earlier pledges into little more than empty promises.
8Supporters counter that public attitudes have shifted dramatically, with most shoppers now carrying reusable bags as a matter of habit.
9The mayor described the vote as a turning point, insisting that future generations would judge the council on its environmental record.
10Only when the first fines are issued next spring, analysts say, will it become clear whether the policy has real teeth.
11For now, stallholders are weighing their options, and many admit the clock is ticking louder than they expected.