Complaints to Lewisham Council

Has anyone ever had a decent response to a complaint from Lewisham?
They basically just seem to ignore you in the hope it will go away or you will get bored - at least that is my experience.

I got fed up with the food bin collectors just throwing the waste bin into the front garden as they

• Broke the bin
• Didn’t empty it properly so there was rotten food scattered about.

All my neighbours bins were the similarly casually tossed back on to the street or garden.

I got a response saying I would have a new FOXPROOF bin within days (their capitalisation)
The bin never arrived and they have ignored any further emails completely even though I requested an escalation of the complaint. I wasn’t complaining about foxes - just the attitude of the rubbish collectors…

Also twice my bin hasn’t been emptied so I filled in the online form to request a collection and all you get is an email. Nothing actually happens and further emails are ignored.
I did get an email asking how satisfied I was with my complaint which was the only action they took!

Has anyone ever had a successful outcome from a complaint?

Where do I start?? So agree spoils this for the good ones who do the job. However they be like magic gems appearing randomly then they gone again. Robots seem to run the show now… slowly but surely they are growing and so is the charges for this and that!!

Lol. I refer you to a response I gave on another subject on here about ‘Services provided by Lewisham Council’:

It fills me with dread and dispair anytime I have to have any dealings with any council, be-it Lewisham or anywhere else I’ve lived.

We, as tax payers, have slowly been worn down, learning to expect and accept the ordeal of mediocrity that we are met with any time we have the misfortune of having to deal with these self-serving ‘organisations’!

A miracle has occurred!
Less than an hour after I posted the comment my bin has been emptied.
SE23.life has some miraculous powers… Maybe Lewisham scours the site and dispatches their top tier squads in response.

Natch I take some of the above back…

Someone must get a good response. We used to have an excellent road sweeper in my area. But he told me he was being moved to another area because the Council were receiving many complaints from that area!

Once they didn’t empty my bin and they did nothing the first complaint. Second complaint they were apologetic and came and got it the next day.

I think they are just in a state of fire fighting and can only deal with so much. Hence things get dropped, missed and ignored.

I have just reported my assisted collection for food waste bin and non return of my green recycle bin for the 3rd week in a row. My food waste bin hasn’t been emptied for 3 weeks now despite reporting through the website. My neighbour kindly returned my green bin today AGAIN (thank heavens for lovely neighbours). I did get a response last week for the grren bin, someone came Saturday, emptied the 4 cans out of it, but yet again today, non return again.

I have also tried to speak to someone about this but of course, you get directed back to the website and if you request a callback because the website is failing you, they don’t even ask for a number to call back on and hang up. Automated systems have flaws.

To think the village I lived in in Mallorca charged me 89 euros a YEAR for rubbish collection and collected it 6 nights a week.!

Hello
Our block finds that the majority of problems are with the Council’s contractors, especially Regenter PFI (Pinnacle and Rydon). The council lacks the capacity to challenge them. If you want to make a complaint our association recommends the following:

Put it in writing. If the complaint is initially by telephone follow-up in writing (email/online) to confirm what was said and actions agreed. Your complaint will be taken more seriously if you provide evidence (e.g. photos, time/date of events, time of telephone call and what was discussed).

If you do not believe your complaint has been managed in a timely, honest, professional and effective manner you should escalate it. It does not matter if you are a leaseholder, renting or a council resident, you have rights and the Council’s contractors must meet certain standards.

If your complaint affects you and others in your building or community, consider joint complaints and petitioning with your neighbours. This will add weight to your complaint and by coordinating with others you may obtain additional evidence. Some blocks set-up their own closed Facebook or WhatsApp groups and others follow open Facebook groups to complain about suppliers (for example - Stop Regenter Brockley PFI – Facebook Group).

Regenter RB3 (Pinnacle PSG & Rydon - brockley.customerservice@pinnaclegroup.co.uk;
Rydon - brockleycso@rydon.co.uk;
Lewisham Homes - CustomerRelations@lewishamhomes.org.uk;
https://www.lewishamhomes.org.uk/contact-us/complaints-and-compliments

Lewisham Council
CorporateComplaints@lewisham.gov.uk; - To escalate complaints against Pinnacle / Rydon
https://lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/complaints-and-feedback/how-to-send-a-complaint-to-us - ONLINE - Feedback and Complaints (complaints may be anonymous)
Fix My Street – Public complaints website (complaint is sent to the relevant to deal with) https://www.fixmystreet.com/
Lewisham Council Fraud Office - reportfraud@lewisham.gov.uk;

Lewisham Mayor - damien.egan@lewisham.gov.uk;

Local Councillors
Enter your post-code here to find your local councillor’s contact details https://www.writetothem.com/

Member of Parliament (MP) - Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham and Deptford) https://www.vickyfoxcroft.org.uk/
vicky.foxcroft.mp@parliament.uk;

Freedom of Information Act (FOI)
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/ - See others complaints and requests for information, select Lewisham Borough Council
https://lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/aboutthecouncil/access-to-information/freedom-of-information-act/make-a-freedom-of-information-request

Information Commissioners Office (ICO) - https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Housing Ombudsman - If neither the council or their contractors may resolve the complaint, then ask a designate (MP or councillor) to escalate to the Housing Ombudsman to investigate.
info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk;

Action Fraud - https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

You may be entitled to compensation if contractual standards and your rights have not been met. Search online for legal firms which offer free, no obligation advice. Some offer no win no fee services.

Citizens Advice – Free legal advice 0800 231 5453 - http://www.advicelewisham.org.uk/