Wakefield Council complaints rise 30 per cent as bin collections, planning delays, potholes, fly-tipping and parking top list of residents’ anger

Delays within the authority’s planning department, potholes, fly-tipping and parking were also among the most common bugbears, according to new figures.

A total of 1,111 complaints were made to the council between April 2021 and March 2022, compared to 854 for the previous 12-month period.

Waste collection topped the list of complaints by department, with a total of 300.

Next highest was planning (61), followed by highways maintenance (58), enforcement (33) and parking (29).

There were 302 complaints about staff conduct, which topped the list of complaints rated by type, followed by 232 about quality of service and 219 from people dissatisfied with a decision.

“Key themes” of waste collection complaints included missed bins and bins not being returned.

The council’s annual complaints and compliments report states: “As the post-pandemic normal continues to be an increased level of home working, it follows that some services are continuing to be more visible to customers than they were pre-pandemic.

“Waste collection has attracted the most complaints regarding staff conduct.

“The data demonstrates that further training, reminders regarding conduct and policies and conversations with staff take place regularly.”

Complaints regarding the planning process and consultation increased significantly during 2021/22.

The rise was put down to an increase in applications being received and a lack of resources within the service, leading to a backlog of cases.

The most common highways complaints related to the condition of roads, potholes, roadworks, overhanging vegetation and street name signs.

The main frustrations with enforcement teams related to antisocial behaviour and fly tipping.

Key themes for parking complaints related to permits, penalty charge notices and the requirement to display a two-hour free parking ticket.

Most complaints are dealt with under the council’s corporate complaints policy.

There are also specific procedures for complaints relating to child and adult social care.

Child social care complaints dropped by 52 per cent, with 71 being logged, compared to 148 in the previous year.

There were 92 adult social care complaints, compared to 90 for 2020/21.

Overall, the majority of complaints received during 2021/22 were resolved at stage one, through internal service investigations.

But the percentage of complaints escalating to an independent investigation (stage two) went up compared to the previous year.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman carried out 23 investigations relating to Wakefield Council over the period, with 13 being upheld.

Residents in Featherstone made the most complaints (65) out of the district’s 21 council wards.

Other wards in the top five were Wakefield North (62), Normanton (61), South Elmsall and South Kirkby (57) and Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton (56)

Residents made the fewest complaints in Horbury and South Ossett (31), Pontefract South (33) and Knottingley (34).

There were 436 compliments logged praising council services.

The report says: “Without a doubt across the council, many more expressions of good service will have been received, however this total only reflects the compliments received by the customer relations team centrally.”

The number of overall complaints has reduced compared to two years previously, indicating a return to pre-covid levels.

The council provides over 100 services to around 352,000 residents.

During the year more than 9.7m bins were emptied.

The authority was responsible for maintaining 1,454km of roads and over 2,000km of footways, cycle lanes and tracks.

It received 4,445 child social care referrals and supported 650 children and young people in care.

Longer term care and support was provided for 5,616 people aged over 18, as well as 2,455 carers being supported.

Complaints relating to councillors, policy matters, grievances, allegations of criminal behaviour or financial irregularity are all areas out of the scope of the council’s complaints policy.

The policy also excludes homelessness issues, asylum issues and most school complaints.

Cabinet members will consider the report at a meeting on December 13.