Councils fail to control business

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has condemned the failure of Barrow Borough Council and Cumbria County Council to properly investigate complaints about a waste facility

Over a six-year period, neither Barrow Borough Council nor Cumbria County Council properly investigated claims by a local resident that a nearby business was noisy, smelly and dusty.

The resident contacted the LGO after his complaints about the business, which operates a waste processing facility without planning permission, went unresolved.

He alleged that, despite numerous communications with Barrow Borough Council since 2007 when waste activities began, no action was taken against the landowner. In 2010, the council referred the complaints to the county council, which has responsibility for waste and minerals issues. The situation did not improve, however.

Barrow Borough Council has been told by the LGO to offer the resident £4,500 for its failure to refer the matter to the county council for three years, while the county council has been asked to pay £3,000 for the delay caused by its initial failure to carry out an adequate investigation.