Lichfield District Council investigated 71 complaints in 2025/26, down from 102. Second reviews rose from 15 to 29, and some complaints are now written with AI.
Lichfield District Council investigated 71 complaints in 2025/26, its lowest number in three years. But the number of people who were unhappy with the first answer and asked for a second review almost doubled, from 15 to 29.
The figures are in the council’s annual customer feedback report, which goes to its Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 17 November. They cover April 2025 to March 2026.
The numbers
According to the report’s comparison table, in 2025/26 the council:
- investigated 71 stage one complaints, against 102 the year before
- upheld or partly upheld 33 of them, against 59
- answered 87% within its 20 working day target, up from 83%
- investigated 29 stage two complaints, against 15, and upheld or partly upheld 9
- answered 79% of stage two complaints on time, up from 40%
- received 52 compliments, down from 98
The report’s own summary gives the previous year’s stage one total as 110, not 102, and calls the fall 35% in one place and 30% in another. Its comparison table says 102. We have used the table.
Stage two is a review by the council’s performance review officer, signed off by the chief executive. The report says 22 complaints went straight to stage two without a first-stage answer. That happens when a complaint covers several services, or when the council leader or chief executive refers it directly.
Bins and council tax drew most upheld complaints
Of the 33 stage one complaints upheld, 13 were about the joint waste service and 12 about revenues, benefits and corporate debt. Planning, which had five upheld complaints the year before, had none.
The report lists the reasons the council said sorry, and what it did:
- missed assisted blue bin collections: crews went back the same day, and a reminder went into the round folder
- repeated missed collections: crews were given updated maps for the round
- bins and bags left in the wrong place: teams were reminded to return them correctly
- poor customer service from revenues officers: the concerns were discussed with staff
- public facilities not working: equipment was fixed and inspections were increased
The report sets those figures against the scale of the services. It says the waste crews emptied more than 9.1 million bins and bags from 85,000 properties in the year, and the council sent 57,836 council tax bills.
Complaints written with AI
The report says the council has seen complaints grow longer and more complex since late in 2025/26. “Increasingly, some complaints are submitted with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI),” it says, “resulting in longer, more detailed correspondence, multiple lines of enquiry and a greater number of supporting documents for review.”
That work is being absorbed by existing staff, the report says, and the trend “is becoming more apparent” in 2026/27.
The ombudsman and MPs
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received seven complaints about the council in the year and upheld one. Four were closed without an investigation and two were outside its remit.
The council also answered 99 enquiries from MPs on behalf of constituents, up from 66, and 93% were answered on time.
What it means for you
- To complain, use the council’s online complaint form or call customer services on 01543 308000. The council aims to answer within 20 working days.
- If you are not happy with the answer, ask for a stage two review. After that, you can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
- For a missed bin, check your day on our bin collection days page before reporting it. Missed bins were the most common reason the council apologised.
The committee is asked only to comment on the report. The council plans to publish it as a web page once the leader has approved final changes.
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