Tempers are rising as service at a recycling centre continues to slow – and one councillor has had enough.
Refuse and recycling sites across the county have struggled with waiting times and excessive visits since reopening after lockdown, but some feel that one in particular is having more difficulty than others.
Councillor Gemma Dinsdale, who represents Corkickle on Copeland Council, shared her frustration after visiting Frizington Household Waste Recycling Centre, off Yeathouse Road, earlier this week, stating many are being “let down by bad management” of the site.
The Cumbria County Council-run site is supposed to be open from 8am-6pm every day, but Ms Dinsdale said the gates were closed early before her eyes, after five users took “over an hour” to dispose of their recycling.
“I think the issue is that tips are in such high demand right now,” she said.
“There’s definitely a discussion to be had on how to make tips more accessible for people, and possibly even create more jobs in the process.”
But it’s not just the increased waiting times causing concern, with residents resorting to illegal ways of disposing of their rubbish instead of waiting for queues to settle.
“While I don’t condone fly tipping, I could see plenty of it on the roadsides down to Frizington tip yesterday,” Ms Dinsdale said.
“This suggests that councils need to make it easier for residents to dispose of their rubbish.
“Increased opening hours, more workers, cut-off sign points in the queue near closing times and adding more localised tipping points are just some of the ways to achieve this.”
Commenting on the difficulties faced by all involved, she continued: “I think there’s frustration on both sides.
“I don’t want to speak for refuse workers, but I imagine they feel stress having to make the call to turn people away so they can close the gates on time.
“From the public’s point of view, there’s frustration from having their household waste collections delayed so frequently that they have to waste hours queueing to dispose it themselves at the tips.”
She added: “It’s a strain on the environment that could be avoided, as well as a strain on the public, particularly key workers, young families and elderly people.”
A spokesman for the county council said: “We are aware of concerns and issues at this site, and are working closely with our waste contractor (who manage all of the county’s 14 household waste and recycling sites) to reduce queues.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding shown during these difficult times, where it is even more challenging to ensure we maintain the safety of sites for our staff, customers and the local residents and businesses in the surrounding areas.”
Suggesting her own solutions, Coun Dinsdale said: “I’d like to see more public debates and discussions on the topic.
“If refuse workers can be encouraged by their managers to express improvements freely that would be beneficial for everyone.
“Also if tip owners can listen to public discussions and make changes as a result, it could create some serious positive change, which is particularly needed now in the face of what could be a second lockdown.”
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