THE public outcry over uncut grass and overgrown paths in many of our communities has been entirely understandable.
People pay their council tax, and they rightly expect a decent service.
Just six months ago disruption to household waste collections over the festive period and into early January resulted in back streets being littered with rubbish.
Back then I demanded answers from the Liberal Democrat run Westmorland and Furness Council and eventually the situation was put right.
Now, at the height of summer, another unacceptable situation has developed with a woefully inadequate grass-cutting and weed clearing performance after the council leadership engaged understaffed contractors who have taken far too long to carry out the work.
Lots of people have spoken to me to make complaints, and I know that local Labour councillors were contacted by a fair number of irate residents.
As your Labour MP I have been working with local Labour councillors to make sure that residents’ concerns are heard and to push for urgent action on the grass cutting, eliminating the weeds or dealing with the litter.
Ultimately the buck stops with the council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet based in Kendal. We will always work to hold them to account.
I am pleased that, following pressure from your Labour Councillors, progress is being made.
All hands were on pumps towards the end of last week with overgrown grass getting the cutting residents have been requesting for ages.
The parks have now been cut and the same goes for the cemeteries.
The contractors expect to be fully caught up within the next week or so.
But we need a much bigger commitment from the local authority that they will keep on top of the basics like the state of our communities, maintenance of public spaces, and waste collection.
This is another example of Westmorland and Furness Council not prioritising areas outside of the Liberal Democrat heartlands around Kendal.
In the Westmorland and Furness Council constitution it states that the authority will place people at the centre of everything it does and it will be ambitious for local communities and residents.
Those aren’t optional maybes, they are binding commitments, and the Lib Dem leaders should be reminded of those obligations.
If you see somewhere that still needs attention you can report it online at westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk or by calling the council on 0300 373 3300 inside normal office hours.