THURROCK Council has officially played down implied criticism of its complaints service, drawn from a survey compiled by a national online service that makes capital out disgruntled citizens taking legal action against the authorities.

In a survey released earlier this week, Claims.co.uk said it had investigated complaints data from the Local Government Ombudsman for the years 2016 to 2022 to uncover the most complained about councils in Essex.

Top of the list was Thurrock, with 25.2 complaints per 10,000 residents.

In second is Southend City Council, racking up 19.5 complaints per 10,000 residents – 13.5 complaints more than neighbouring council, Rochford, in twelfth place where planning and development are residents' most prominent concern.

With households in 139 roads suffering from missed bin collections not long ago, Epping Forest (17.4 complaints per 10,000 people) ranks as the third most complained about council in Essex.

That is 70.7 per cent more than the county's least complained about council area, Chelmsford, where residents are the 'best served' with 5.1 complaints per 10,000 people.

Chelmsford is the eighth least complained about council in the country, according to the study which describes the disparity between Thurrock and Chelmsford as 'staggering'.

The survey did find that Thurrock has shown a 'satisfactory uphold rate of 66.67 per cent, suggesting that most complaints filed are not disregarded. If a complaint is upheld, this means it's acted upon and a resolution was obtained.

Asked to comment on the survey Thurrock Council responded by saying: "This report does not take the differing roles and responsibilities of the three different types of council in Essex into account and therefore it cannot make a fair comparison.

"As a unitary authority Thurrock Council manages all aspects of council service delivery whereas in the majority of local authorities in Essex service delivery is split between the two tiers of the county council and district councils.

"A more accurate picture of complaints received by Thurrock Council is published in the Annual Complaints and Enquiries Report.

"Although there was an increase in complaints received last year the report shows that Thurrock Council received more compliments than complaints last year, nearly nine out of ten complaints were dealt with within timeframe, 66% were not upheld and the number of complaints progressing to stage two decreased from the previous year."

While the council's official line was tempered mildly and its response vouchsafed in conciliatory terms while downplaying the report's veracity, Conservative members of the council delved into it to make political capital.

Tory cabinet member for central services Cllr Jack Duffin used the survey to bash Labour rivals.

He said: "Thurrock Council is a small unitary with a huge output of quality services. Our make-up is slightly younger and more reliant on council-funded social care services than other parts of Essex which naturally puts more of a strain on our budgets." 

"Since the Conservative group took control of the council there has been a clear and demonstrable decline in complaints.

"The Local Government Ombudsman also outlined that Thurrock is in the top bundle of most-improved Essex councils and that there has been a 11.52% decline in complaints since 2017.

"Labour-run Southend is usually a good comparison point as a neighbouring unitary authority and it's clear that since the Labour Party took over Southend City Council no improvements have been made." 

"I think residents will happily take a new administration committed to owning up to complaints and improving our quality of services, than the no-progress alternative."