The pair have agreed to end the deal, first signed in 2017, two years early, and the council will now move in-house on 10 October 2022.
The move comes as part of the county-wide process of ‘local government reorganisation’ in Cumbria. The council explained that this means a unitary authority will be created for the area – Westmorland and Furness council – from 1 April 2023.
Westmorland and Furness council will replace Cumbria county, Barrow-in-Furness borough , Eden district and South Lakeland district councils.
Transition
The council said an early termination of its current waste collections contract has agreed to help “a seamless transition”.
Councillor Ann Thomson, the leader of Barrow borough council, said: “We have maintained a continuous dialogue with our contractor, FCC, about the forthcoming changes to local government in Cumbria.
“We have mutually agreed to end the contract from October when waste, recycling and street cleansing will become council services once more.
“We are all committed to making the transition period as smooth and as straightforward as possible for all residents.”
A spokesperson for FCC Environment said: “FCC Environment has been providing Barrow borough council with refuse, recycling and street cleansing services since April 2017 and in this time the business has worked hard to deliver for the residents of Barrow.
“We are working on a planned exit strategy amicably with our council partners and we will assist them in every way we can to ensure a smooth transition.”
Recycling rate
Last year, the council considered fining residents for contamination in a bid to improve its recycling rate. The council was named the worst performing authority in England in 2019/20, with a household waste recycling rate of 18.8%. This decreased further to 17.9% in 2020/2021(see letsrecycle.com story).
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