Heading in the right direction (Redcar & Cleveland Council)

Member Name: Rook252

Product:	Redcar & Cleveland Council
Date:	17/02/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good museums, libraries and pools

Disadvantages: Contact points are inefficient

As a rule I have found Redcar & Cleveland council to be fairly inefficient, although they do offer some good services. This is mainly to do with my dealings with the council tax team. To start off it is an impossible phone service to try to navigate. Secondly, you will no doubt get through to someone who isn't actually a council tax officer, and can't do anything other than tell you how much you owe. Neither can she transfer you to someone who will help, or send an email to confirm what she said on the phone (becomes a necessity after the 5th phone call asking the same questions but nothing being done).

I moved out of my house in the borough in August 2008, I sent them a letter, and called them to tell them this. I was told I would be due some council tax back. I then got a letter in October stating I was two month's late. In November I got another one threatening to take me to court. And another in December. Each time I called up and said 'I don't live there anymore!' and they said 'oooh yes, we have that on the system, just ignore the letters'. In January I got another letter, stating in 7 days a court date would be set. The day after, I got a cheque for £186. All in all it was extremely stressful and badly handled.

Redcar & Cleveland is not a rich borough, however they do keep the streets clean and tidy. Unfortunately they have also gone down to the twice weekly bin collection, and their recycling system is ridiculously complicated. Clear bags of plastics and another type of bag of papers one week on a Tuesday, a box of glass and yet another type of bag of tins the next week on a Thursday, and if you use the wrong type of box, it all gets left! In Ireland we had one big bag for everything, and people recycle a lot more as a result, Redcar & Cleveland still have a lot to learn.

The council does offer some good public swimming pools, including the recently refurbished Guisobrough pool, and several museums. The best of these is the Kirkleatham Old Hall museum outside Redcar, which has a huge kids play area, lovely café, a little community garden, and some changing exhibitions. Best of all though, it's a free day out, so great to take the kids to in the summer.

Summary: People, progress, pride? Better slogan would be 'Getting there on a whim and a prayer'