Responsibility for poor Furness bin service 'at top' of council

Dalton North councillor Ben Shirley (Conservative) said he made residents' feelings known 'about the appalling waste collection service' in a Westmorland and Furness Council locality board meeting on October 9.

He said: "I was sure to make sure that council bigwigs knew that it's not ok for the front line staff to bear the brunt of people's frustrations. Responsibility for the poor service lies with decision makers at the very top of council and they need to get this sorted out." 

Cllr Shirley wants to have 'cleaner streets, improve our recycling numbers and reduce fly tipping.' 

Bin collection services have become a bipartisan issue among politicians in Furness with Labour councillor Beverly Morgan also raising the problem in a meeting earlier this month. 

She said: "Walk in any direction within ten minutes of Barrow Town Hall and you will see piles of rubbish and scattered litter.” Cllr Morgan told the council's cabinet that Furness councillors are 'constantly approached' about the state of the streets. 

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Westmorland and Furness Council said it had inherited different waste and recycling services from three former district councils (Barrow, South Lakeland and Eden). 

It called the current situation 'complex' with different collection models, contracts, vehicles and even recycling containers in place for 115,000 households. 

"Residents can expect to see new waste and recycling services being implemented from late 2025, with the majority of changes implemented by the end of 2027," a spokesperson said. 

The council also promoted their 'Community Conservation' engagement scheme to hear residents' thoughts on current services in their area. 

"It's important to us that we reflect the views of our communities when we are planning the future of such important services that affect every household in Westmorland and Furness," they added.