Weeds in Carlisle city centre will once again be discussed at next week’s meeting of Cumberland Council.
Councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent Group) has submitted two questions to senior councillors which have been included in the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting of the full council.
His first question relates to the issue of weeds, which was also raised at the last meeting of the council in July, and it will be directed to Councillor Denise Rollo (Harrington, Labour) who is the portfolio holder for sustainable, resilient and connected places.
In his question Cllr Betton says: “My question is about the state of the city’s tree maintenance and weeds, which in my constituency are widespread – all over Botcherby ward areas, in our gutters, roads, pavements, back lanes, footpaths, cuts and in our green space picnic areas, riverbanks, and paths.
“Taxpayers of Carlisle deserve a tidy pride of appearance in highways and green space areas and their neighbourhood infrastructure, not a city of neglected ugly weeds and unmaintained trees causing problems of blocked drains, flash flooding of footpaths and obstruction of paths and pedestrian and motorist’s vision.
“Years of dense detritus have never been removed properly by city and County Council and now more so by Cumberland Council. It’s a bad impression on our city to our residents, tourists and visitors when other councils are actually on top of, and managing, this properly.”
Cllr Betton said he was looking for a simple yes or no answer on whether the council was “failing to get on top of these problems, invest public tax money better by maintaining and managing these failures and agree to bring back in house a maintenance work force – instead of using contractors?”
He added: “Blaming government cutbacks and shying away from taxpayers’ requests to improve and have tidier neighbourhoods is not the answer.
Receiving complaints that Carlisle is a messy mass of neglected weeds, unwanted detritus and unmanaged trees is not acceptable either, please listen.”
He will also ask both council leader Mark Fryer and Cllr Rollo about household green and black bins.
In his second question he says: “It’s been expressed to me by constituents, and is of great concern, that household waste and garden bins have to be paid for by new tenants of both social affordable rented and newly bought homes when they move in.
“This was the case with the old Carlisle City Council policy where as in Allerdale large wheelie bins were free of charge.
“Now we are a unitary authority my question is to the leader and portfolio holder; will they agree to not charge – not just for large wheelie bins but any other capacity type of wheelie bin – and that if a bin is stolen or damaged that a free bin would be provided.
“In these austere times the general public should not be charged for these, or any type of wheelie bin, as they are already paying council tax. I ask that you please listen to my constituents, act on this today and give an answer today – you have a chance to move on and put things right by the taxpayer, which is not charging for household waste and garden bins.”
Tuesday’s public meeting is due to start at 1pm and it will be held in the Cathedral Room at the Civic Centre in Carlisle.
