TRAFFIC turmoil at Barrow’s tip will be discussed by councillors next week after frustrated drivers were left simmering in long queues.

A report by county council managers, which owns the household waste recycling centre on Walney Road, will go before councillors in Barrow.

Barrow Local Committee will be asked to consider future options for the tip.

The county council is carrying out a feasibility study to again look at either ‘redesigning’ the site or relocating the tip to somewhere else in the borough.

Matters came to a head a fortnight ago when drivers heading to the tip were blocked by long queues of cars and found it shut to motorists.

Cars backed up on the busy A590 – causing others to drive up the middle of the road to get past – with complaints of queues of up to 25 minutes.

The delays followed the roll-out of on-site health and safety procedures when containers filled with waste are replaced, a council report has confirmed.

There are fears of an accident could take place as pedestrians empty rubbish and cars drive onto the site when heavy containers are being moved.

It followed guidance from the Health & Safety Executive which identified the change over as the ‘most dangerous activity’ to take place at such sites.

Cumbria County Council had asked the operators of the centre to shut down the site to the public when full containers need replacing.

Renewi Cumbria Ltd, formerly Shanks Cumbria Ltd, has a 25-year council contract to run the site, although the job is sub-contracted to Cumbria Waste Management Ltd.

The report said options included replacing the containers before the site opens or when it closes at 6pm.

This would minimise the need to do the job during the day, but was rejected by Renewi on the grounds of cost, according to the report.

The new procedures – rolled out at other household waste centres across the county –  has sparked an ‘increase’ in complaints about queuing on nearby roads.

The report said: “There have been 45 complaints so far this year regarding the closure of HRWC sites.”

Barrow Local Committee meets on Monday (July 15) and is chaired by Barrow councillor Kevin Hamilton, the mayor of Barrow and the Labour member for Risedale.