Council Customer Service

Council Customer Service Standards

Rossendale Borough Council is committed to providing the best possible experience for customers, whether you are a resident, business, partner or supplier. Our customer service standards have been developed to maintain expectations and provide high levels of customer satisfaction. Our customer service standards are detailed below.

Operations

Responsible for the provision of an efficient and effective waste management, street cleansing, parks and grounds maintenance, transport management and bereavement service.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Missed Bin	Collect a reported missed bin	2 working days - Tues-Fri
New Bin Delivery	Deliver an ordered new bin	Within 1 month
Bulky Waste	Collect a bulky waste collection request	10 working days
Fly-tipping	Remove reported fly-tipping	5 working days
Dangerous Tree	Remove a reported dangerous tree	Within 24 hours - during working week
Playground Damage	Inspected reported damaged playground equipment	Within 24 hours - during working week

Planning and Building Control

Planning is responsible for the processing of planning applications, taking account of borough policies and briefs, government guidance and the individual merits of each scheme, in order to control development in the borough in the public interest. Building Control are responsible for ensuring building works comply with the health, safety, energy conservation and access for the disabled requirements, as laid down in the Building Regulations and Building Acts.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Validate a Planning Application	Validate a submitted Planning Application	5 working days
Determine Planning Application - Major	Determine a decision for ‘Major’ Planning Applications	13 Weeks
Determine Planning Application – Minor/Other	Determine a decision for ‘Minor’ or other type Planning Applications	8 Weeks
Planning Appeal	Respond to a Planning Appeal statement	6 Weeks
Building Control Application	Determine a decision for a Building Regulation application	5 Weeks

Council Tax and Benefits

Responsible for assisting residents to make changes to, and process, Housing Benefits and Council Tax.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
New Housing Benefits	Process new benefit claims for Housing Benefit	17.5 working days
New Council Tax Support	Process new Council Tax support	15 working days
Change to Benefits	Process changes to Housing Benefits and/or Council Tax Support	4 working days
Revenues CTAX/NNDR	Respond or amend notice for revenues CTAX/NNDR	10 working days

Housing and Regeneration

Housing is responsible for providing advice and assistance including, mandatory homelessness and allocations duties; the provision of Disabled Facilities Grants and related support; managing resettlement programmes and asylum seekers; enabling affordable housing delivery and maximising the re-use of empty dwellings and also energy efficiency related initiatives. Economic Development are responsible for the development and delivery of economic strategies, policies, plans and projects to create the conditions for sustainable economic growth. To identify, secure funding, establish and operate a range of strategic and practical projects.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)	Acknowledge receipt of a recommended DFG	5 working days
DFG Case Visit	Visit an urgent DFG case Visit a standard DFG case	4 Weeks Chronological Order
DFG Approval	Provide a decision for a DFG Application	4 Weeks
DFG Completion	Fully complete the DFG and associated works	12 months
Housing Assessment	Arrange a visit following receipt of a Housing Assessment Enquiry	5 working days
Urgent Housing Assessment	Arrange a visit following receipt of an Urgent Housing Assessment Enquiry	Within 24 hours - during working week
Homeless	Notify a homelessness decision when homeless duty is owed	2 working days
Housing Plan	Issue a personal Housing Plan following decision that a homeless duty is owed.	2 working days
B – with – Us banding	Change the B-with-Us banding following decision that homeless duty is owed.	2 working days

Environmental Health/Public Protection Unit

Responsible for the delivery of services to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our communities and service users including those areas of food safety, health & safety, environmental protection, private water supplies, land drainage and flood defence, rogue landlord enforcement and core public health and licensing functions of the authority.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Food Inspection	Carry out a food inspection upon receipt of a food hygiene complaint	5 working days
Housing Inspection	Carry out a Housing Inspection visit	10 working days
Environmental Crime	Investigate a reported environmental crime	5 working days
Other issues	Investigate any other issue, such as Pollution, Noise, Public Health and Safety and Licensing, unless considered an emergency it will be dealt as soon as possible.	10 working days

Legal

Responsible for the Council’s Legal Affairs including procurement, regulatory enforcements, prosecutions, unauthorised encampments, preparation of contracts and other legal agreements.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Land Charges Search	Respond to an official Local Land Charges Search	5 working days
Member Enquiry	Respond to Member Enquiries on a specified issue	10 working days
Freedom of Information	Respond to Freedom of Information requests	20 working days
Complaints	Investigate and respond to formal complaints	10 working days
Committee Agendas	Publish Council/Committee agendas on the Council website	5 clear working days prior to the meeting

Finance

Responsible for the administration of the Councils’ Financial Affairs and compliance with various statutes and standing orders.

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
Invoices	Payment of undisputed invoices	Within 30 days of receipt

General Enquiries

Enquiry / Issue	Council Action	Timeframe
General Enquiries	Forward general enquiries to the relevant officer/department	Within 24 hours – during working week