Bags of garden waste were brought to the steps of Penrith Town Hall on Tuesday with protestors claiming that promises had been broken over plans to roll out a green bin kerbside collection service to all residents in Eden.
Colin and Pauline Piper, of Skelton, have been campaigning for green bins since about 2013 because of what they see as the “unfairness” of the present system.
They have access to a once-a-month skip at the village hall, but it fills up in less than 24 hours during the summer, said Mr Piper.
“We are all paying that same amount of money, so we need the same services,” said Mrs Piper.
While a total of 18,213 properties in Eden do have access to fortnightly kerbside green bin collections, at a cost of around £427,000 per year, at present there are 69 villages and smaller hamlets in the district which miss out.
Of those villages, 16 take part in a garden waste skip scheme — serving another 2,257 properties — at a cost of £25,500 per year.
Last year, in the run-up to an Eden Council May by-election, Virginia Taylor, the Lib Dem leader of the district council, said: “There is an unfair system of garden waste collection throughout Eden which is built into the current contract which was agreed by a former administration.
“We are drawing up terms for a new contract, and garden waste collection which is fair to all residents is high on the priority list.”
However, in July, it was agreed that the authority’s current waste and recycling contracts would be extended for a further five years from next month — with no extension of the garden waste kerbside scheme.
The establishment of a local authority trading company to take over the contract was looked into by an Eden Council task force, but it was not pursued because of the COVID pandemic and uncertainties over the developing situation on the reorganisation of local government in Cumbria.
Championing the cause for all residents in Eden to get access to the green bin scheme for their garden waste is district councillor David Ryland (Ind, Hesket).
At a full meeting of the district council last week, Mr Ryland called on Eden to extend its green waste collection service to include all households in the district.
There are numerous villages which, at present, do not receive a kerbside garden waste recycling service, said Mr Ryland.
“I have three within my own ward — Southwaite, Ivegill and Calthwaite — the latter two qualified for a community skip service which proved unsightly and very unpopular as fly-tippers regularly filled them up, so the parish council had no option but to ask Eden District Council to remove them.”
He added: “This council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and last November published its zero carbon and sustainability strategy — we have ample reserves, and I would like to see a rollout programme implemented in our final year as a council.”
However, his motion was voted down by councillors who form part of the Lib Dem-led rainbow administration.
After the meeting, Ms Taylor said: “I continue to support the provision of fair and, wherever possible, consistent services for all of Eden’s residents, including green bin kerbside collections.
“However, the Government is proposing changes to the legislation around waste collections.
“It makes sense for us to understand the requirements of this new legislation, including any associated government funding that may be available, before making decisions that would require significant increases in council spending.
“Unfortunately, the Government has delayed publishing the statutory guidance that will set out what is expected of councils by law and I share the frustration of others that we do not yet have clarity on this matter.
“We must also acknowledge the reality that a new unitary authority will replace Eden District Council in 2023 and that any decisions about the future provision of services cannot be made in isolation.
“Before committing to this, or any other major contractual change, Eden Council is required, by law, to consult with the new Westmorland and Furness Council.
“This could not happen before elections to the new shadow authority take place in May of this year.”
Sandy Lancaster (Ind, Kirkby Stephen), told the Herald: “It’s unfair. People literally a mile-and-a-half down the road from Kirkby Stephen are paying for green bins, the same as I am, but are not getting them.”
It would cost £250,000 to purchase the extra green bins needed for all households in Eden and £250,000 per year to extend the contract to empty them on a fortnightly basis, said a spokesman for the district council.
The garden waste bins can be used for all green waste such as leaves, branches, grass, flowers and plants.
