COMPLAINTS against the region's biggest local authority have nearly trebled over the past three years.
Durham County Council received 3,105 complaints over its services in 2011/12, a near three-fold increase on 2009/10's figure of 1,088.
In the intervening financial year – 2010/11 – 1,787 complaints were received from the public.
The council said that although the number of complaints increased by 74 per cent last year it was an indication that its customer relationship management system, which is used to simplify the process for the public to make complaints was working well.
Reading the above reminded me.
To similar spin Durham Fire Brigade closed down their gym cum community centre to the public last year on the grounds of cost after only a year or so of being opened to much public fanfare.
Cleveland Fire Brigade now/is knocking down a perfectly good fire station to build a new one cum community centre on the Headland which is already well served with such centres. Will this be closed in a couple of years?
But the bigger question is WHY are Fire Brigades getting involved in this type of endeavour. I thought the Fire Brigades existed to fight and to prevent fires. Another example of the total disregard of the public purse. More sinisterly, is it a ploy to dupe us into paying more to the fire precept &/or to blame reduction in services on the 'cuts'?