At the last Full Council meet4ing of Cumberland Council myself and my Liberal Democrat group colleagues were able to ask the following written questions to the Council’s Executive members:
Item 7 – Question (With Notice)
- Councillor Pickstone submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places –
‘Could Cllr Rollo, the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places inform Members what proportion of scheduled bin collections were missed on the original collection day in the last full year and how does this figure compare with each of the previous three years, and what steps are being taken to improve service reliability?’
RESPONSE
Previously, missed collections were reported based on resident notifications, and reporting methods varied due to legacy arrangements.
Since 1 April, we have recorded the actual number of collections missed on their scheduled day using data from the vehicle in-cab system. From July, we have expanded this reporting to include the number of missed collections that were subsequently recovered (collected late) and those that were not recovered. This provides a more accurate reflection of service performance than customer-reported missed collections, as not all residents report when their bin has been missed. However, due to inconsistencies in historical reporting methods, direct comparisons with previous years’ data are not possible.
The service continues to face challenges relating to staffing levels. A nationwide shortage of HGV drivers has made recruitment difficult, particularly for the garden waste service,
The ageing fleet has also contributed to service downtime; however the replacement fleet is due by the end of 2026.
To improve service resilience and support future workforce needs, we are investing in staff development by putting several Waste Operatives and Loaders through their HGV licence training. This creates opportunities for career progression, helps improve staff retention, and will strengthen the service’s capacity over the longer term, alongside investing in the fleet replacement.
- Councillor Pickstone submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning and Development –
‘Could Cllr Lynch, the Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning and Development inform Members what proportion of young people aged 16–24 in the area are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) and how does this compare with regional and national averages, and what targeted interventions are in place to reduce this number?’
RESPONSE:
For 16-17 year olds, Cumberland’s latest NEET/Not Known rate (Dec 2025–Mar 2026) was 4.6% (288 young people), remaining below both the North West (5.3%) and England (5.5%) averages, despite a small year-on-year increase. Reliable local data is not available for the wider 16–24 NEET cohort because the Annual Population Survey sample size is too small to provide robust local estimates. While national data suggests 13.5% of 16–24 year olds by December 2025 were NEET, local figures cannot be used confidently for benchmarking due to large margins of error. For example it is estimated that 22% were economically inactive in Cumberland – but this could provide a margin of error of around 10% either way and the ‘inactive’ also includes those in education.
In addition, JSA and Universal Credit claimant data (4,195 claimants in May 2026) can provide a further indication amongst 18–24 year olds, but it should be noted that claimant counts are not the same as unemployment figures, as they exclude non-claimants.
A range of employment and employability support is available locally, including Connect to Work, Inspira, Cumbria Youth Alliance, Right2Work/Oaklea Trust, North Allerdale Trust, Good Lives, Growing Well, the National Careers Service and King’s Trust programmes, alongside Skills Bootcamps offering training in areas such as construction, engineering, logistics, hospitality, renewable energy, digital marketing, AI and robotics, project management, leadership and health and safety.
- Councillor Dobson submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places –
‘Given that the Department for Transport’s Traffic Signs Manual (Chapter 5, para. 11.2) makes clear that SLOW carriageway markings must be clearly visible at hazards such as bends, crests and restricted sightlines, can Cllr Rollo, the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places inform Council how many SLOW markings are currently in place across Cumberland’s road network, how many of these have been assessed as worn, faded or no longer providing adequate visibility, and what proportion have deteriorated to the point where they no longer perform their intended safety function?’
RESPONSE
There are 847 recorded SLOW markings across the Cumberland network, these are assessed as part of the highways condition safety inspections. Any that are no longer providing adequate visibility are reported and will be included in a future lining programme of works.
This financial year, there has been 80 reported defects regarding the SLOW road markings, 29 have been already been remarked and the remaining 51 will be remarked in the coming months.
In addition, any councillor or member of the public can report a faded SLOW marking through the website and this will be addressed by the highways service.
- Councillor Wernham submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places –
‘Across Cumberland, there are increasing numbers of locations where hedges, shrubs, weeds and other vegetation have become overgrown and are encroaching onto public footways and highway visibility splays. This can force pedestrians, wheelchair users, mobility scooter users and parents with prams into narrower walking routes or, in some cases, into the carriageway itself. At road junctions, overgrown vegetation can also obstruct sight lines for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, creating potential safety risks.
Can Cllr Rollo, the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places confirm what policy and inspection regime the Council currently operates to identify and address vegetation overgrowth affecting public footways and highway visibility?’
RESPONSE
As part of routine safety inspections, obstructions to the footways are noted and where relevant a letter is sent to the landowner requesting that work be carried out. If the work is not carried out in a reasonable time, then the council will carry out the work and recharged to the owner.
Any highway vegetation will be dealt with internally to ensure visibility is maintained and road safety is not put at risk.
- Councillor Wernham submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places –
‘Many residents are concerned about vehicle speeds outside schools, near collision hotspots, and at locations where visibility for pedestrians is poor. While introducing mandatory 20mph speed limits can be expensive and time-consuming, advisory ’20s Plenty’ signs can be installed more quickly and at lower cost to encourage safer driving.
Will Cllr Rollo, the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places advise whether Cumberland Council has a policy on the use of advisory ’20s Plenty’ signs, and whether the Council will investigate installing such signs outside schools and at appropriate road traffic collision hotspots across Cumberland, including in Carlisle, where they may help improve road safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users?’
RESPONSE
In April 2024 the Highways and Transport Strategic Board approved a policy on Cumberland 20mph speed limits and zones and part of the paper focused on school safety and the implementation of advisory 20mph limits at schools.
It was made clear at the board that any 20mph area must have full support of the Police with regards to its Enforcement.
‘School 20 when lights show’ are advisory signs used in conjunction with school flashing lights. When displayed, drivers are advised to travel at a speed not exceeding 20mph at the start and the end of the school day.
Since then, we have introduced several advisory 20mph limits and will continue to do so where appropriate.
The 20’s plenty sign is not an approved traffic sign authorised by the Department of Transport.
- Councillor Wills submitted the following question to the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing –
‘Can the Deputy Leader (Non-Statutory) and Children’s Services, Family Wellbeing and Housing (Statutory Lead Member for Children’s Services) Portfolio Holder provide an update on current waiting times for applicants on the Cumberland Housing register, broken down by housing band (A, B and C), property size requirement, and local area within the authority?’
RESPONSE
Thank you Chris for your question regarding waiting times on the Cumberland Housing Register.
As of March 2026, there were 10,795 active applications on the Cumberland Housing Register. The average length of time applicants have been registered is 116 weeks.
However, it is important to note that this figure should not be interpreted as an average waiting time for housing, nor should it be viewed as a direct measure of demand. Cumberland operates a Choice Based Lettings Scheme, which means applicants choose which properties they wish to bid for. Many households remain on the register for extended periods because they are waiting for accommodation in specific locations or for particular property types that meet their needs.
The length of time an applicant remains on the register can also be influenced by factors such as:
- The availability of suitable accommodation;
- Local Lettings Plans;
- Section 106 local connection requirements; and
- Individual applicant choices about where and what type of housing they are prepared to accept.
In addition, 29.7% of applicants are not currently bidding for properties, meaning that time spent on the register is not solely determined by the supply of housing.
Looking across the former district areas, the average registration period is:
- Carlisle: 165 weeks
- Allerdale: 111 weeks
- Copeland: 74 weeks
- Cumberland average: 116 weeks
Approximately 70.3% of applicants are actively bidding, with levels broadly similar across the three former locality areas.
The data also shows that housing need is concentrated in the lower priority bands, with:
- 5.7% of applicants in Band A
- 31.5% in Band B
- 61.7% in Band C
- 0.9% currently unverified
Demand is particularly high for smaller properties. Of the 10,793 property size requirements recorded:
- 7,081 applicants (65.6%) require one-bedroom accommodation
- 2,250 require two-bedroom accommodation
- 1,376 require three-bedroom accommodation
- 76 require four-bedroom accommodation
- 10 require five-bedroom accommodation
This demonstrates that the greatest pressure within the housing register is for one-bedroom homes, which account for nearly two-thirds of all applications.
In summary, whilst there are currently 10,795 active applications on the Housing Register, the average registration period of 116 weeks should not be viewed as an average waiting time for a home. The figures reflect a combination of housing availability, applicant choice, local allocation arrangements and the fact that almost a third of registered applicants are not actively bidding for accommodation.
The Council continues to monitor housing demand and housing need across Cumberland and is exploring opportunities to develop more regular reporting to Members to provide a clearer picture of housing demand, supply and emerging trends across the area.
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