West Dunbartonshire Council’s help line is a waste of time and (our) money

Notebook by Bill Heaney

A public relations and marketing operation is widely recognised as the way to go about promoting your business in the 21st century.

But highlighting your shortcomings by publishing what is effectively a list of complaints about what you have done or have failed to do is not one of them.

However, West Dunbartonshire Council persists in publicising what they are not good at – and that’s a great many things – by publishing a list of complaints from council taxpayers which detail where they have fallen down on the job.

Some might call that smart. I call it stupid.

These complaints which run into hundreds and possibly even thousands from dissatisfied council taxpayers are enough to make you weep – or wince even.

They are more than enough to make you avoid ever investing in anything that West Dunbartonshire Council has any role in.

This week, there were 45 complaints on the list when I looked it up. It’s usually more than that.

Here are a few examples of the ones the Council considers “most relevant”. They are most probably the ones the Council considers least damaging to their tattered reputation.

Jim Coyle answered Amanda’s “How can I help you today” invitation with this: “Well, you could start by telling me why you have turned the quiet street of Burn Street, Bonhill, Alexandria, into a street full of lunatics, drug dealers and paedophiles? The once quiet wee street [was] ruined in just a few years. The police [are] in it all the time now.”

Predictably, no answer was the loud reply.

Ian Jamieson didn’t have a question: “I’m just here to read the comments

,”he wrote. It was accompanied by this picture below:

Danii McKellar asked: ” Can you tell me how I go about getting permission to remove my hedges?

Both neighbours have bought their houses and have cut their half of the hedges away and erected fences.…

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West Dunbartonshire Council answered: “Hi Dannii McKellar thanks for your message, if you private message us your address and contact number, thanks Amanda.”

Now, that’s really helpful and I don’t think. You call the helpline and they tell you they can’t help but somebody else might.

Danii McKellar set about making her own inquiries: “I’ve sent a message. Thank you.”

Gemma Park then called: “Will be 2 weeks on Friday since I reported a missed bin, this page also took my details…… Still not been done.”

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West Dunbartonshire Council answered: “Hi Gemma Park we have chased this with the team, apologies for the inconvenience caused, thanks Amanda.”

Bonnie Mckay’x then asked: “Who is it I speak to about speed bumps being added to a street?”

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West Dunbartonshire Council replied: “HI Bonnie Mckay’x you can request an area for traffic calming on our website; https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/…/traffic-calming/ thansk Amanda.”

Gillian Bell asked: “Is the online repairs actually getting picked up by anyone ??? Waiting for months! Reported it online a few times and can never get through on the phone!!”

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West Dunbartonshire Council replied: “Hi Gillian Bell thanks for your message, if you private message us your contact number, address and name we can pass this onto the team, thanks Amanda”

It’s hard for me to find out who this Amanda person is since the communications department won’t answer my e mails and have banned me from speaking to them and asking them questions of any kind. They don’t consider me to be a real journalist. Maybe if I private messages them with my contact number and address though they could pass this on to the team?

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Richard Stewart suggested to Gillian, however – and this might come in handy for me too – The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the final stage for complaints about councils, https://www.spso.org.uk/spso

Then again, maybe not. Gillian told Amanda and the rest of the world, who are now aware of just how bad council services are in Dumbarton: “Richard Stewart they are useless as well. I did that for another botched job they did and heard nothing!!!”

Then it was Fiona McCormack’s turn: “Hi Amanda, who is the councillor for Redburn area please. There are 6 houses in Redburn including mine and 2 neighbours paying a higher CT [council tax] than the rest of the place.

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West Dunbartonshire Council: Hi Fiona McCormack you can find out your councillor on our website; https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/…/councillors-and…/, you can contact the council tax team directly on this by emailing council.tax@west-dunbarton.gov.uk, thanks Amanda.

WEST-DUNBARTON.GOV.UK

Councillors and committees

You would think it might have been simpler (and cheaper) just to tell the woman the name of the councillor for Redburn. No wonder the council tax is going through the roof.

This next one is funny if it were not so laughable.

MXmccolganx Emma asked: “I’m still waiting on someone coming out for a leak in my bathroom that was reported over the weekend. My house is flooding downstairs? Looks like the wood underneath my bath is rotten away as well.

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West Dunbartonshire Council: Hi MXmccolganx Emmax thanks for your message, you can call our emergency repairs line here; 0800 073 8708, they will be able to advise, Amanda.

Emma got a result, but it was the kind of result WDC has a reputation for coming up with and it’s gobbledeygook: “MXmccolganx Emmax: West Dunbartonshire Council I have done [as you suggested] but no one’s been back to me. I got 15 txt messages yday to say Jordan was on his way, still nothing not calling again or emailing it will only give WDC bigger problems if not fixed.”

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West Dunbartonshire Council: “Hi MXmccolganx Emmax if you private message us your name, address and contact number we can flag this, Amanda.”

This is new, have WDC started doing business by semaphore?

Deborah Jardine called with a public health complaint: “The bin at Gooseholm Crescent is still full. The interior bin has been taken out and left beside the bin but not emptied. There are flies everywhere as full to brim with dog poo bags.”

Catherine Casey complained about housing repairs. She wrote: “Repairs are refusing to send out a building inspector as i have multiple repairs i want to discuss including one that’s been re-done 3 times and still isn’t fixed properly. Any ideas how I get one out?!”

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West Dunbartonshire Council: “Hi Catherine Casey if you private message us your name, address and contact number we can pass this onto the team, thanks Amanda.”

Some team that. It deals with everything from housing to uncollected bins.

Catherine Casey asked: West Dunbartonshire Council what team?

Elizabeth McColl asked: “Been waiting since Jan 23 to have a fan fitted in my bathroom and walls sorted in 2 bedrooms, can’t get an answer on the phone due to waiting time.

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West Dunbartonshire Council: “Hi Elizabeth McColl thanks for your message, if you private message us your name, address and contact number i will pass this onto the team, thanks Amanda.”

Elizabeth McColl: West Dunbartonshire Council msg sent.

Then Ewan Williamson reported: “A813 bottle bank still blocking bus stop.”

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West Dunbartonshire Council: “Hi Ewan Williamson we have flagged this to the team to be moved, Amanda.”

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West Dunbartonshire Council: “Hi Ewan Williamson the team have advised that these bins were moved there as there is (sic) no buses that go along the bottom off Ladyton/Nobleston therefore the bus stops are not used, thanks Amanda.”

But Ewan Williamson was not content with that answer: “West Dunbartonshire Council as its legally on a public road surface its a potential hazard putting people at risk to use it, given it is so close to the main carriageway. Why was it moved in the first place?”

Lesley Hail added: “It’s such a “green” initiative too. Not even remotely accessible unless by car. On a road surface putting road users at risk. Can’t help but wonder what moron who clearly never lived in the area decided that was a great place for a bottle bank.”

Sheila Kearney told West Dunbartonshire Council that there are also two rubbish bins in same location. She asked: “Could one of those be moved to high numbers car park in Braehead so people can put their dog poo bags in the bin instead of throwing them into bushes and hanging them from trees?”

Then Betti Angus asked: “Why are the spotlights on the fountain in Alexandria switched on during the day? Is that not a bit of a waste of electricity?”

Here are a couple of questions from me.

How on earth did a funeral undertaker get planning permission from the Council to operate a funeral parlour in an old butcher’s shop in the one-way High Street where you can’t get a single car parked never mind accommodate a funeral procession?

And when is the Council going to return the Colquhoun Street sign to the lamppost they replaced in Roundriding Road?

Hopefully this item in The Dumbarton Democrat paints a much truer picture of what West Dunbartonshire is really like as a place to live and work in.

But if it really does cost council taxpayers £500,000 a year to circulate this information to residents then we are being conned rotten and poorly served by our councillors and elected representatives.