Complaints Against Solihull Council Reach Highest Level in Three Years
Resident complaints against Solihull Council have climbed to their highest point in three years, with new figures revealing a significant annual increase. The authority received 741 complaints in the 2024-2025 financial year, a sharp rise from the 628 and 629 complaints recorded in the two previous years.
Waste and Highways Services Bear the Brunt of Criticism
A detailed breakdown of the grievances shows that two key council services were the primary sources of resident dissatisfaction. The waste and recycling service attracted 207 complaints, while the highways service was the subject of 160 complaints.
This represents a shifting pattern from the prior year (2023-2024), when there were 224 complaints about waste and recycling and 125 concerning highways.
Council Report Pinpoints Key Problem Areas
A report presented to the council identified specific issues that triggered the surge in complaints. For highways maintenance, the first quarter saw an increase linked to problems with roadworks, road closures, and general maintenance.
Complaints about the behaviour of parking enforcement officers also contributed to a rise in grievances for traffic and parking in the first and third quarters.
Regarding waste services, the council noted a spike in complaints during the first and second quarters concerning missed green waste collections. Reasons cited included bins being too heavy or containing incorrect items. There were also reports of noisy collection vehicles.
The report stated, "63.8 per cent of all customers chose dissatisfaction with service delivery as the main reason for complaints."
Scrutiny Board Demands Answers and Lessons
The findings were examined at a meeting of the council’s resources and delivering value scrutiny board on November 24, held at the Civic Suite.
Councillor Shesh Sheshabhatter pressed officers, asking, "What specific lessons have been learned? What is the root cause of this increase in complaints?"
In response, officer Angie Pretty, the council’s head of customer, bereavement and registration, suggested that unclear terms and conditions might be a factor. She emphasised the importance of listening to residents and ensuring communication is clear from the outset.
Offering a different perspective, Councillor Dave Pinwell, the board's chairman, sought to contextualise the numbers. He remarked that the volume of complaints was modest compared to the overall activity level of the entire council, which he found encouraging.
