Waste Collection Overhaul: Is Cumberland Council’s New Plan Enough to Satisfy Residents?
Next week, Cumberland Council’s place overview and scrutiny committee is set to tackle a critical issue: the progress of their waste collection service review. Meeting at Allerdale House in Workington on Wednesday, January 7, councillors will dive into the details of a plan that could reshape how waste is managed across the region. But here’s where it gets controversial: while the council has adopted an in-house delivery model, not everyone is convinced it’s the right move. And this is the part most people miss—the public consultation revealed some surprising divides in opinion.
The council’s executive committee greenlit the in-house model after a thorough review of all options, which includes transferring Allerdale Waste Services staff under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). This shift, finalized on January 20, 2025, followed consultations with AWS employees and their union representatives. The goal? To streamline waste collection and improve efficiency. But is it working as planned?
The proposed operating model, which was put to the public in a four-week informal consultation, includes:
- Fortnightly domestic general refuse collections using 180-litre wheeled bins.
- Fortnightly twin-stream recycling collections with two 180-litre wheeled bins.
- Seasonal garden waste collections (March to November) using 240-litre wheeled bins, with an option for additional bins at a charge.
The consultation responses paint a nuanced picture of public sentiment. For instance, while 92.62% of respondents emphasized the importance of encouraging recycling, 40.4% disagreed with the idea of fortnightly collections in Allerdale. Similarly, 64.1% agreed with seasonal garden waste collections, but only 42% supported a charge for extra bins. These numbers highlight a community divided on key aspects of the plan.
To fund the changes, the council has committed significant resources. An additional £2,400,000 was added to the capital programme for purchasing new bins, and a staggering £12,080,000 was allocated for replacing the waste collection fleet between 2025 and 2032. Both moves were financed through prudential borrowing, a decision that raises questions about long-term financial sustainability.
But here’s the real question: Is this overhaul enough to meet residents’ expectations? While the council aims for consistency and efficiency, the public’s mixed reactions suggest there’s still ground to cover. What do you think? Are fortnightly collections and seasonal garden waste pickups the right approach, or is the council missing the mark? Let us know in the comments—this is one debate that’s far from over.
