Are you ready for a waste revolution? Cumberland Council is taking a deep dive into its waste collection services, and the details are fascinating! Next week, councilors will be reviewing the progress of this important project. Let's break down what's happening.
On Wednesday, January 7th, council members will gather at Allerdale House in Workington to receive an update on the waste collection service review. They'll be looking at how well the council is doing with the recommendations made in November 2024. They'll also assess the project's effectiveness and offer their own suggestions if needed.
The council decided to handle waste collection internally, after carefully considering all options. This means bringing the staff of Allerdale Waste Services into the council under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).
On January 20th, 2025, the Allerdale Waste Services (AWS) staff successfully transitioned back to the council (TUPE). This move followed discussions with the AWS workforce and their union representatives. This is a significant change, and it's important to understand the details.
Here’s what the council is proposing:
- General Waste: Collections every two weeks using a 180-liter wheeled bin.
- Recycling: Collections every two weeks, with two 180-liter wheeled bins for different materials.
- Garden Waste: Seasonal collections from March to November, with 240-liter wheeled bins. Residents can pay extra for additional bins.
But here's where it gets controversial... the public was consulted, and the results are in!
- 58.5% of responses came from the Allerdale area.
- 63.5% of respondents had one or two people in their household.
- 58.25% of respondents wanted a consistent service.
- 92.62% of respondents thought recycling was important.
- 40.4% of those who expressed an opinion disagreed with fortnightly collections in Allerdale.
- 53.4% agreed with changing from boxes to bins for recycling in Carlisle.
- 48.6% agreed with increasing paper and card collections to every two weeks in Allerdale.
- 91.13% of respondents had a garden.
- 64.1% agreed with seasonal garden waste collections (March-November).
- 42% agreed with paying for extra garden waste bins.
The council is also investing in this new system. They're adding £2,400,000 to the capital program to buy extra bins for general waste and recycling. They're also adding £12,080,000 to buy new waste collection vehicles between 2025 and 2032. Both of these recommendations were approved last January.
And this is the part most people miss... This shift to in-house management and new collection methods represents a significant change in how the council handles waste. It's designed to improve efficiency, encourage recycling, and better serve residents. However, it's not without its challenges. The public consultation revealed some concerns about the frequency of collections and the changes in the recycling system.
What do you think? Do you agree with the council's plans? Are you concerned about any of the proposed changes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
