New Socitm survey highlights shortcomings of some county councils in providing sufficient information on restrictions on using tips
Most English county council websites are providing a good service in providing information on using council rubbish tips, but over a third are falling short, according to the latest survey by public sector IT association Socitm.
Its Better Connected round-up of 27 sites assessed 63% as providing a good or very good service for the task, leaving 37% as not doing so.
It also found that 41% failed to be clear about the issue of whether residents could access a tip if they turn up in a rental van – a scenario it said is likely for people moving house, making this a key piece of information. The failure could cause stress and inconvenience and lead to incidents between the public and council staff.
Socitm said the survey results have been published soon after Oxfordshire County Council announced it would equip its tip workers with body worn cameras to record any incidents of abuse.
It also said that resident satisfaction with local waste management can be a barometer for satisfaction with the council, and that some people may only come into face-to-face contact with council staff at a rubbish tip.
“Council websites should be more upfront about restrictions on public use of council tips in order to avoide turning people away and creating the sort of frustration that can lead to confrontation,” it said.
By Editor580, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
