Annual complaints report presented to councillors

THE controversial green bins scheme, staff conduct, data protection and council meeting conduct were among complaints against Angus Council upheld last year.

A total of 236 complaints against the council were dealt with during 2106-17.

While the authority’s chief executive Margo Williamson said any complaint was one too many, she was pleased more than 180 had been closed at the first stage.

The figures compare with a 2015-16 total of 251 closed-off complaints.

The annual complaints report was delivered to members of the scrutiny and audit committee, revealing that of the stage one complaints, 51 were upheld, 86 not upheld and 44 partially upheld after being looked into.

At the second stage of investigation, 11 complaints were upheld, 20 not upheld and 13 partially upheld.

The escalated stage two procedure saw just a single matter upheld, three partially upheld and seven not upheld.

Among matters upheld were a complaint regarding poor service at a special full meeting of the council last December and a breach of data protection which led to a reminder being sent to all of the local authority’s staff.

The environmental management directorate was the subject of an upheld complaint from an Angus resident over four consecutive missed collections of their paid-for green bin.

Angus introduced a £25 annual charge for removing garden waste in July last year and the upheld matter resulted in new collection routes being drawn up, with operatives issued with detailed route maps.

Mrs Williamson said: “A total of 236 complaints were closed off. It’s 236 too many but given the population of Angus I don’t think that’s too high.”

Margo Williamson