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Public delivers critical verdict on performance of Highland Council


By Gregor White

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Highland Council HQ.
Highland Council HQ.

The views of more than 1000 people were gathered as part of this year's Citizen’s Panel survey into the performance of Highland Council.

They gave an overall satisfaction rating of just 63 per cent – five years ago that figure was 87 per cent.

In terms of responses to individual service areas the response was more mixed with high levels of satisfaction for libraries (82 per cent), recycling facilities (70 per cent) and refuse or bin collection (67 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, however, satisfaction in terms of winter roads maintenance stands at minus two per cent, with public toilets at minus 31 per cent and other roads repairs and potholes at minus 69 per cent.

Th survey was discussed at a full meeting of Highland Council last week when Wester Ross councillor Derek Macleod said: “Yet again the net satisfaction of services provided by the council is lowest for those services which are used by the greatest number of people.”

Inverness Central councillor Janet Campbell also talked about a fall in satisfaction with burial and cremation services and added: “Care at home services also saw a 20 per cent reduction in satisfaction, down from 29 per cent to nine per cent,” she said. “That must be hugely concerning for all of us who have constituents in care homes and who face the obvious traumas related to burials and cremations.”

Depute council leader Alasdair Christie said: “We know roads are the largest part of our post bag – people want us to do something about the roads. It is a priority for the whole council, not just this administration.”

Councillors also backed a root and branch review of amenity services including grass cutting and play park provision which, although they often arouse strong public reaction, are not services the council is legally required to provide.

The review will cover workforce, plant and materials costs as well as possibilities for new income generation and community capacity to take on some of the work in a bid to reduce a current £4.3 million budget.

Inverness Millburn councillor Isabelle Mackenzie suggested grass-cutting could be partly addressed with the planting of new wildflower meadows.

“Considering we have lost 97 per cent of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s and these crucial habitats need to be managed properly it is crucially important to look at whether or not we can be a role model for that,” she said.


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