A complaint was made on behalf of a number of council tenants that the Council had changed their housing allocation policy without proper consultation.
Local Government
The complainant raised a number of concerns about the way in which her housing allocation had been handled by the Council.
The City of Edinburgh Council
The complainant (Mr C) raised a complaint that his client (Ms D) had accepted the offer of a Council house based on inaccurate information provided by the Council in respect of the central heating system. The Council had advised that the house was fitted with gas central heating when in actual fact only electric storage heaters were fitted. These storage heaters did not have the appropriate meter installed to allow for use of the cheap overnight electricity tariff. As such, Ms D's electricity costs were significantly higher than they would otherwise have been. Mr C pursued the complaint through the Council's formal complaints procedure and, as he remained dissatisfied with their response, referred the matter to the Ombudsman on 5 December 2005.
Aberdeenshire Council
The complaint concerned the Council's decision to introduce new refuse and recycling procedures. It was alleged that only two weeks notice was given of the changes and that the tone of the literature issued to members of the public was unacceptable. The complainant was also aggrieved that a new waste and recycling centre, upon which the new system depended, was not yet built.
Argyll and Bute Council
The complainant (Mrs C) complained to our office that the Council failed to respond to her complaints to them about issues concerning the education of her son. She alleged that, despite attempting to raise her concerns with the Council, they failed to consider her complaint in line with their formal complaints procedure.
Falkirk Council
The complaint concerns the way in which the Council handled a lease between themselves and the complainant.
South Lanarkshire Council
The complainant raised concerns regarding the handling of a planning application and an application for listed building consent for the conversion of a ground floor property into a bar/bistro in a block of flats in which she resides. She claimed that the Council had failed to ensure that neighbour notification was carried out in accordance with current requirements and that planning permission had been granted to include a beer garden as part of the development, when, to the complainant's knowledge, this had not been included in the application.
Dundee City Council
This report relates to allegations made against Dundee City Council Social Work Department in respect of their dealings with the complainant who had recently moved to the Dundee area. He has three children, one is now in the custody of his mother and two are in the complainant's custody. The complaint relates to the assistance and advice provided by the Council in respect of the custody hearings in relation to the child who now resides with his mother, the Council's inclusion of the complainant on their internal 'Potentially Violent Persons' database and also their handling of periods of care provided to his other children.
Stirling Council
The complainant considered that Stirling Council's position to introduce a charge of £1 per week for a medical emergency care service alarm installed in her home was unfair and unreasonable and breached the Scottish Executive 'free personal care' policy.
Perth and Kinross Council
The complaint concerned Perth and Kinross Council's actions in relation to planning matters affecting the site of a hotel situated in wooded grounds.