THE majority of changes to waste services in Westmorland and Furness will be complete by the end of 2027.

Westmorland and Furness Council say the first changes to a consistent service across the council area will be implemented from late 2025 with the majority of revisions set to be in place by the end of 2027.

The local authority has launched a consultation titled ‘community conversation’ to gather people’s thoughts on current services in their area.

The feedback received will help inform the council’s emerging options for creating consistent waste and recycling services across the whole of Westmorland and Furness.

These options will be considered early next year and a vision for the revised service will be completed by mid-2025.

Cabinet member for climate, biodiversity and environmental services, councillor Giles Archibald said: “Our aim is to reduce waste, increase recycling, and provide services for our residents that are consistent across the whole of the Westmorland and Furness area. We also want to make it easier and more convenient for people to recycle and minimise their waste.

“We want to involve our communities in helping us to plan what future services will look like, and have today launched our Community Conversation on waste and recycling collections.”

Westmorland and Furness Council delivers 7.5 million collections annually to 115,000 households in one of the largest and most rural unitary local authority areas in the country, covering a geographic area of 3,750 square kilometres.

Cllr Archibald added: “It’s vitally 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. I would encourage as many people as possible to complete our survey or attend one of the in-person events to share your views.’’

A report prepared for Furness Locality Board in October says Westmorland and Furness Council will create a new waste and recycling service to help meet the council’s commitment of being net zero by 2037.

The report adds the council recognises the ‘frustrations’ caused by the ‘current differences’ in waste and recycling services across Eden, South Lakeland and Furness, particularly in regard to green waste charging.

In Furness residents pay a charge for garden waste collection while it is free for residents in South Lakeland and Eden.

The report adds: “The current situation across the three areas is complex, with different delivery models, different vehicles and containers used for kerbside recycling collections, charging regimes, different collection frequencies and multiple different contracts.”

The survey on current services will close on December 20 and is available online.

Paper copies of the survey will be available in the receptions of the council’s main public buildings at Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall and Voreda House, Penrith, as well as council libraries.