Salford Council are having a laugh aren't they?

[alllegs]

Just a quickie, if you need a grave search in any of the Worthing cemeteries you best email parks@adur.gov.uk quick, it's free until April 2011, then it's going to cost you £15 for a search...

[GrahamH]

Graham suggested that the only way to change things at Salford would be to go down the complaints procedure with little chance of this changing things.  Well that is what I have done and the outcome is as Graham as stated.  I am contemplating the Ombudsman as we speak.

Rob

I think I will do the same Rob.  First I will make for formal complaint to Salford as you have done then follow that up.

Probably on a hiding to nothing but I might as well see it through 'til the end.

Julia

To be totally accurate I did not say it was the only way. I said it was one option but one which is unlikely to succeed. I also said:

The only other option, and the only one which can produce a definitive answer, is to take Salford Council to court.

Note the highlighting in this repetition.

Galling though it may be it is pointless, Julia, in repeating Rob's action. Whichever way it goes, the outcome will not differ and will only waste public resources (i.e. the tax we all pay).

Graham

[Parmesan]

Galling though it may be it is pointless, Julia, in repeating Rob's action. Whichever way it goes, the outcome will not differ and will only waste public resources (i.e. the tax we all pay).

Graham

Very probably but I am getting my 'additional, discretionary service' out of them

Dogs and bones spring to mind 

[Parmesan]

To be fair though,  persistence can and does pay off.



sometimes ....

[GrahamH]

Galling though it may be it is pointless, Julia, in repeating Rob's action. Whichever way it goes, the outcome will not differ and will only waste public resources (i.e. the tax we all pay).

Graham

Very probably but I am getting my 'additional, discretionary service' out of them

Dogs and bones spring to mind 

Sorry, I disagree. In the sort of economic climate we currently have all such duplication can achieve is to reduce services and/or increase taxation.

To be fair though,  persistence can and does pay off.



sometimes ....

Not when it is a matter of law. Neither the LGO (if at all) nor the court would make a different finding in law just because somebody else didn't like it.

Graham

[Parmesan]

So if you have a complaint or feel something is unjust you just shrug or shoulders and say, 'well probably Joe Bloggs has made a complaint so I won't bother cos it will cost the taxpayer'?  We could debate till the cows come home about the 'waste of public resources'!

We are talking about public servants here, and its because I am a tax payer that I have every right to question their practices however unsuccessful that may prove to be.

I'm not a shrugger of shoulders type of person Graham and thankfully neither is Guy Etchells who was both  persistent and successful.

[GrahamH]

So if you have a complaint or feel something is unjust you just shrug or shoulders and say, 'well probably Joe Bloggs has made a complaint so I won't bother cos it will cost the taxpayer'?  We could debate till the cows come home about the 'waste of public resources'!

The point is you have already made your complaint - as has Rob - and it has been rejected. Rob is taking his complaint a stage further and will receive an answer one way or another. For you, or anyone else, to do the same will only be a wasteful duplication.

We are talking about public servants here, and its because I am a tax payer that I have every right to question their practices however unsuccessful that may prove to be.

Again, you have questioned the practices already - see above. You have every right as a taxpayer to ask questions but going over the same ground again and again just because you don't receive the answer you want is a waste of all our money.

I'm not a shrugger of shoulders type of person Graham and thankfully neither is Guy Etchells who was both  persistent and successful.

Guy was successful because he followed the correct course of action by taking his complaint to the Information Commissioner who has the power, under FoIA, to arbitrate as to whether a decision of a public body not to disclose information is correct. That is the same power that the courts - and only the courts - have to give a definitive answer in this case. If you are really serious about being persistant and not simply intent on "getting my 'additional, discretionary service' out of them" then go to court.

[andycand]

So if you have a complaint or feel something is unjust you just shrug or shoulders and say, 'well probably Joe Bloggs has made a complaint so I won't bother cos it will cost the taxpayer'?  We could debate till the cows come home about the 'waste of public resources'!

We are talking about public servants here, and its because I am a tax payer that I have every right to question their practices however unsuccessful that may prove to be.

I'm not a shrugger of shoulders type of person Graham and thankfully neither is Guy Etchells who was both  persistent and successful.

Hi Parmesan

I notice from your profile that you are from Cumbria, is your local council Cumbria County Council? if so, they too charge a one pound administration fee for postal and credit/debit card processing charge. It would be interesting to hear there opinion on this.

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/registration/otherservices/copy.asp

Andy

[Parmesan]

Hi Andy

Aye I live in Cumbria but no family from here so I don't use their service.  However I will ask their reasons for charging what amounts to be £1 postage charge when they actually state they send stuff second class.

Their service seems a bit pants - they quote 10 days and they really should get someone to proof read the web page, it has quite a few typos!

Slack!