MARK Jenkinson MP is calling for Cumberland Council to refund residents’ council tax after months of bin strikes.

Constituents living in the former Allerdale area faced disruption to services after strike action by workers at Allerdale Waste Services.

An agreement was finally reached last week but the MP has said he believes Cumberland council could have resolved this far sooner.

Mr Jenkinson has written to the council leader asking him to refund this year's increase across Allerdale, and has also launched a petition which he says has garnered several hundred signatures in the first twelve hours.

Mr Jenkinson said: “This campaign is not something I have undertaken lightly.

"However, I cannot stand idly by whilst this council hold the residents of Allerdale to ransom – making them pay more for less as far as services are concerned.

“A refund would go some way towards making amends for the huge and entirely avoidable misery which they have heaped on my constituents."

Mr Jenkinson said that in 2019, Labour wanted a refund for two months disruption after the first round of bin chaos.

He said: “In 2019, the then Conservative council recognised that residents had had both Labour’s maximum council tax increase and significant disruption to services.

"So in April 2020 their council tax rise was just £2 per year on a band D property.

“In April 2023, despite the cost-of-living pressures faced by all my constituents, Cumberland's Labour executive chose to hike council tax for Allerdale residents by 6.7 per cent, almost the highest rate in England – a £110 per year increase.

“Since then, all residents have had to show for it is cancelled recycling collections; huge disruption to domestic waste collections; cuts to frontline services; a significant decline in the tidiness of our town centres; a proliferation of weeds; and the cancellation of levelling-up projects, such as the Maryport swimming pool funded by our Conservative government.”

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: “Cumberland Council is pleased that Allerdale Waste Services and the Trade Unions have been able to agree a resolution to the dispute and share the relief that residents across Allerdale must now feel that waste and recycling collections can soon return to normal.

“Cumberland Council’s Executive looked at a number of ways to harmonise council tax across the three former district council areas.

"The approach that was agreed was the fairest and secures the revenue needed to provide the vital public services required by our residents.

“Council tax is a key element of our budget. All councils have a legal duty to set a balanced budget every year and it covers a significant range of services – from libraries, parks and leisure centres, social care and public health to road maintenance, street lighting and cleansing.

"Council tax is not a service charge for services provided.”