The bug bears of Levenmouth...

Dog fouling and not emptying bins were two of the biggest gripes in the area

Dog fouling, failure to empty bins and delays in house repairs have topped the list of complaints to Fife Council from Levenmouth residents.

According to statistics presented to Levenmouth area committee last week, 374 complaints were lodged about missed bins, 234 residents reported illegal dumping and 86 people complained of dog fouling from April to September last year.

Housing and building services received a higher proportion of complaints when compared with the council overall.

In 2015-16, 23 people complained about delays in starts or completion of works - a rise from just six complaints the year before, while the bulk of complaints in the previous year related to repairs and upgrades.

The committee also heard a spike in education figures came about because ten parents from one primary school class had lodged complaints regarding standards of supervision.

Overall, the report revealed almost 80 per cent of complaints were resolved or closed within five days.

More complex complaints were meant to be dealt with in 20 working days, but only 68 percent were closed within that target time scale.

Overall, the number of complaints had increased last year.

Dave Thomson, customer experience lead officer, said:

“The volumes [of complaints] in certain areas have gone up but we can’t say whether that’s because people are being encouraged to complain.”

Lynn Harvie said services would improve thanks to a new ‘escalation and resolution’ team.

“It’s been running six-eight months and we are expecting to see big changes in the coming year as that team kicks in, she commented.

“We are getting a much better perspective on what’s happening right across the board,” she added.