Complaints against Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council have increased over 60 per cent in past five years, study shows

A recent study has found that the number of complaints lodged against Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has increased considerably in the last five years.

Basingstoke and Deane has been deemed the least improved Hampshire council when it comes to complaints, as the number of complaints since 2017 has increased by 63.41 per cent.

However, it is seventh in the list of 11 Hampshire councils when it comes to the number of complaints per 10,000 people, with Basingstoke and Deane garnering 7.3 per 10,000.

Southampton City Council garnered the most complaints per 10,000 with 16.2, with Portsmouth getting the second most with 13.6.

Residents in Basingstoke and Deane were most frustrated with environmental services, public protection, regulation, planning and development, with 86 of the total 130 complaints being about those issues.

Only 44 per cent of complaints were upheld in the borough, meaning 56 per cent of them haven’t been acted upon or resolved.

Hampshire County Council had 6.2 complaints per 10,000, with the most common complaints concerning education and children’s services.

The study was carried out by claims management company Claims.co.uk, which investigated 2016 to 2022 complaints data from the Local Government Ombudsman to uncover the most complained about councils in Hampshire.