Bins missed during collections account for the highest number of complaints to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, a report to councillors states.
The report was presented to this month’s meeting of the council’s Corporate, Resources, Policy and Governance Committee.
The council received 74 complaints about waste services between January and March this year. Of these, 82 per cent related to bins left unemptied. Nine per cent were complaints about waste personnel.
The second highest number related to cemeteries, in particular, plot damage and subsidence, of which there were 17 complaints, during the same period.
Twelve complaints were received regarding parks, in particular, fallen/blown over trees and damaged fences.
Between April 1 and June 30, 150 complaints were made to the borough council. Two were received anonymously and were referred to the PSNI.
None was referred to the Public Services Ombudsman. Ninety per cent were resolved without escalation. Fifty-nine per cent were upheld by the council, the “majority” of which were managed by waste services and parks operations departments.
Ninety-one complaints related to bins missed during collection.
The report stated:
“There is a continuing trend of missed assisted collections and bins across the services. Supervisors have been instructed to speak to crews in their service areas.”
Thirty-one complaints involved park operations.
It was noted:
“The majority of issues pertained to grave complaints, for example, graves needed tidied up due to overgrown grass and shrubs. Parks operations will keep an eye on graves and tidy up as needed and advise ratepayers of areas that are under the remit of Department for Infrastructure.
“It has been agreed that areas around graves will no longer be sprayed with weed killer and two battery-operated strimmers have been purchased for the cemetery department in order that they can strim the grass around graves going forward.”
Eight complaints about Seven Towers Leisure Centre were “general in nature, pertaining to leisure centre cleanliness, confusion around online bookings and issues with swimming classes for toddler groups.”
Councillors have queried previously why a “larger number” of complaints are regarding the Amphitheatre rather than Larne Leisure Centre or Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena.
There were 16 complaints between January and March about the Amphitheatre leisure centre in Carrickfergus involving some showers not functioning and “deterioration of the spa area”.
They were told that the average number of users at the Amphitheatre is 1,000 daily “which results in a high likelihood of complaints”.
Members were also told that the Amphitheatre has a membership of 2,223 people and up to 900 children take part in swimming lessons each week.
The report also stated that Amphitheatre staff have “a high proficiency in recording their complaints rather than a reflection of poor comparative service”.