COMPLAINTS about Dorset Council services have slightly increased during the year – although compliments have shot up.

Of the 93 complaints received about Place services in the past three months, 30 of them formal complaints, only five per cent were upheld and 22 per cent ruled to be partially justified.

During the whole year there were 11 approaches to the Local Government Ombudsman with only one complaint upheld.

The last three months shows an increase in compliments to 53, compared to an average for each quarter prior to that of 33.

The biggest areas of complaint in the Place directory are highways and planning, which both received 24 complaints.

Service manager for assurance Marc Eyre says the department tries to deal with complaints, as much as possible, as informal as it is often quicker. He says complainants who are unhappy with the outcome offered are escalated to the Ombudsman, who found in the council’s favour in ten of the eleven complaints which reached the office.

Mr Eyre said that it was believed the number of compliments were under-recorded as the council’s system was designed for complaints, not compliments, and compliments were often received in an informal way.

Councillors have asked for future complaint reports to include comparisons with similar local authorities.

“It would be good to know how we compare,” said place and resources scrutiny committee chairman Cllr Shane Bartlett.