'Operational challenges’ blamed for Cumberland missed bin collections
Councillor Denise Rollo, the sustainable, resilient and connected places portfolio holder, was speaking during Tuesday’s meeting of the full council at Carlisle’s Civic Centre.
‘Operational challenges’ within Cumberland Council’s waste management service have been blamed for missed bin collections across north and west Cumbria.
She was responding to a question from councillor Robert Betton who first highlighted the issue last month when residents in the Warwick Road area complained that their bins had not been emptied for four weeks.
He asked: "With bins in parts of Botcherby ward going unemptied for nearly a month and residents were forced to leave full bags beside overflowing bins.
"What assurances can Cllr Rollo give that regular waste services will resume, and will the residents affected receive any form of compensation or council tax reduction for the missed service?"
Cllr Rollo said there were ‘operational challenges’ within the service and the situation in the Botcherby ward was an operational disruption. She urged residents whose bins were missed should contact the council.
She admitted that it could be frustrating for residents and added that, in cases where a collection had been missed, operatives aimed to return as soon as possible.
Cllr Rollo said there was no provision to offer a reduction in council tax, to compensate residents for missed collections and added: "Our duty is to deliver the services, as we do across Cumberland, and where an issue arises we aim to resolve it."
And councillor Gareth Ellis also asked Cllr Rollo a question and said: “Cumberland Council missed 4,000 bin collections in 2024.
"In my ward, residents in Scotby and other areas across Wetheral have faced particular difficulties with missed collections, leaving families with overflowing bins and concerns about hygiene and vermin.
"While the council claims it ‘collects 99.99 percent of bins on time’ these 4000 missed collections tell a different story for affected families.
"Major service changes are now rolling out across former Allerdale and Copeland areas, including fortnightly collections and route reorganisation. Meanwhile, Carlisle residents continue with the existing system, raising concerns about whether performance will improve or deteriorate."
Cllr Ellis asked Cllr Rollo to confirm:
What was the total number of scheduled collections in 2024, and what percentage did the 4000 missed collections represent?
What specific remedial action has been taken to address problem areas like Scotby and other parts of Wetheral where residents have experienced repeated service failures?
Cllr Rollo said the total number of collections for 2024 was 4,443, 186 and cllr Ellis had focussed on the 0.09 per cent which were missed. She said that there was a strategy which was aimed at improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact.