Map reveals Britain’s WORST councils where complaints about schools & housing have soared – does yours make the list?

NEW data has revealed the worst councils in the country where complaints about everything from schools to housing have soared.

The data from the Local Government Ombudsman reveals the local authorities with the steepest rise in complaints since 2016.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in Dorset ranked the worst, with a 98.69 per cent increase in complaints over that period.

It was closely followed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in Warwickshire, which saw a 73.91 per cent increase.

Erewash Borough Council, Derbyshire and Lewes District Council, East Sussex were tied in third with a 66.67 per cent surge each.

Rounding out the top five was Allerdale Borough Council, Cumbria, which saw a 65.71 per cent increase.

Others in the top ten included Burnley Borough Council, Lancashire, and Sevenoaks District Council, Kent.

These were in stark contrast to the most improved council, Buckinghamshire Council, which saw a near 80 per cent drop in complaints.

Meanwhile the most complained about council overall was Haringey Council in London, with 45.3 complaints per 10,000 people, 70 per cent of which were upheld.

On the other hand, the local authority with the lowest rate of complaints was Kingston Upon Hull Council, North Humberside with just 2.6 complaints per 10,000 people and only 63 per cent upheld.

A complaint being upheld means it was acted upon and a resolution was obtained.

Education and children’s services is the most frequent category of complaint, 23 per cent higher than adult social care and 37 per cent more than housing.

As council tax increases by an average of 3.5 per cent this year, people’s expectations of councils’ standards are likely to rise too.

This is one possible reason for the fact that, overall, complaints against councils rose by 25 per cent in 2022 compared to last year.