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Service Standards

Building Control

We will register and acknowledge building regulation applications within 3 working days.

We will notify building regulation amendments within 3 weeks.

Concessionary Fares

We will issue bus passes/rail cards/tokens to qualifying persons immediately on request at the Council Offices, Broseley or Shifnal Libraries. By post within 5 working days.

Data Protection

We will supply information within 40 days of request.

Development Control

We will determine 80% of major planning applications within 13 weeks.

We will determine 80% of minor planning applications within 8 weeks.

We will determine 88% of other planning applications within 8 weeks.

Elections/Electoral Registration

We will deliver/post annual canvass forms 12-14 weeks before the new Register of electors comes into effect.We will despatch application forms for postal and Proxy facilities within 3 working days of request.We will despatch application form for service Voters, overseas electors and European citizens application within 3 working days of request.

Environmental Health

We will respond to requests for service within 1-5 days, dependant upon category of complaint/request.

We will issue all licences within 8 days of receipt of full documentation and required fee.

We will respond to new housing grant enquiries within 5 days.

99% of Decent Homes Grant applications will be determined within 28 days of receipt of all documentation.

90% of Disabled Facilities Grant applications will be determined within 14 days of receipt of all documentation.

We will respond to Environmental Information Requests witin 5 days of receipt of required fee.

Finance

Provide good stewardship of the Council's Finances.

Align the Council's expenditure with our Aims and Priorities.

Publish the Statement on Internal Control by the end of June each year.

Pay our suppliers within 30 days of receiving an invoice.

Freedom of Information

We will supply information within 20 working days of request.

General Housing Standards

We will endeavour to reply to all written Council Housing related correspondence within 10 working days from receipt. If this is not possible, we will send an acknowledgement letter within 5 days and provide you with a fuller response as soon as we have completed our enquiries.

We will ensure that all our staff have identification, which they will present to you if they visit you at home. You should ensure you are aware of the purpose of their visit and check their identification before allowing entry.

Housing Management Standards

We will respond to racial incidents or any other form of serious harassment reported to the Tenancy Management Team within 1 working day.

We will carry out any enquiries and will send you a letter advising you of the outcome of your housing application within 21 working days from receipt of your application form.

We will endeavour to provide assistance to any tenant who is facing financial hardship that creates difficulty in meeting rent payments.

We will always seek to reach an agreement to clear any arrears with tenants who find themselves in arrears. Possession proceedings will only be used as a very last resort.

In order to protect tenants information we will always seek to verify an enquirer's identity before releasing any information that we may be holding in relation either to a rent account or an application for housing.

We endeavour to re-let all our empty homes within 27 days.

We will ensure that our properties:-

• Are safe and secure while empty
• Have all health and safety repairs including gas, electrical and asbestos checks carried out before they are let
• Are maintained to a consistently high quality standard

Homeless Applications

We will ensure that a trained Homelessness Officer sees all homeless applicants who present as 'Homeless' on the same day. All other cases will be seen within 3 working days, except where applicants request a specific date beyond this timescale.

We will provide advice and information and will try as a first step where possible to prevent homelessness. We will monitor the provision of this housing advice and that available through other agencies whose services we may refer you.

We will carry out and complete our investigation of your case and you will be informed of our decision in writing within 28 days, subject to relevant information and contact being maintained.

Housing Repairs and Property Improvements

We will always endeavour to give you at least 28 days notice before carrying out any major works to your property that may cause disruption, subject to information being received from the contractors.

We will send you a repair receipt for all repairs, except those for closed/common areas. This receipt will show the priority of the repair and its target completion date.

We will carry out an Emergency repair category response within 4 hours.

We will carry out an Urgent repair category response within 48 hours.

All Non-Urgent category repairs will be completed between 1 week and 10 weeks depending on the priority given in accordance with the type of repair required. You will be notified of both the completion date and priority by letter.

We will carry out an annual central heating service and safety check in all properties with such a facility.

We will ensure that where a member of staff is required to check out a repair, prior to work being carried out, we will offer you an appointment within 3 working days. Where this is not convenient we will arrange a date that is convenient for you.

Tenant Participation

We will support tenant and resident associations by attending meetings, offering financial assistance and providing administrative support. We will also promote the development of new groups and encourage them to become registered.

We will keep our tenants updated by producing a newsletter at regular intervals throughout the year.

We will welcome any comments you wish to make on our services and will carry out surveys on a regular basis to gain opinions on the delivery of any of our services.

Land Charges

We will respond to search enquiry within 10 working days.

Leisure and Amenities Service Standards

Generic Service Standards across all areas of the service:

We will endeavour to reply to all written correspondence within 10 working days of receipt. If this is not possible we will send an acknowledgment letter within 5 days and provide a considered response as soon as enquiries are complete.

We will ensure that all staff are easily identified, via uniform or identification badges, and sufficiently trained and inducted to provide a courteous and safe level of service to our customers and residents.

We will review our operations as required to ensure the health and safety of our staff, customers and protection of the environment.

We will welcome any comments or improvements you may wish to make regarding our services, and we will carry out at least an annual service specific survey to inform our continuous improvement drive.

Leisure Services

To operate our designated open spaces, sports development and leisure centres to accepted national quality standards i.e. Green Flag and Quest.

To ensure all Leisure staff are appropriately inducted and trained to appropriate industry standards.

To work towards county and national standards for the protection of children whilst they are taking place in our services and activities.

All of our promotional and advertisement literature will be in clear English, accurate, and offer a range of opportunities across the district for people to access.

We will consult appropriate groups, organisations or partners annually in respect of our service enhancement initiatives i.e. Best Value Plan, lottery applications, open space, sport and physical activity, play and marketing strategies.

Leisure Services will produce an annual publication to be distributed through appropriate channels and outlets to inform our partners and stakeholders of our activities and intentions for the year.

We will ensure that our open spaces are accessible, safe and welcoming.

To manage the safety of our trees by conducting bi annual surveys.

To protect the environment by minimising herbicides and restricting its use, to when there is no other viable alternative. And only using non persistent weed killers that pose least risk to the environment.

To maintain our shrubs and hedges by annual pruning.

To maintain our grassed areas by a fortnightly cutting cycle (weather permitting).

Amenity Services

To work towards all of our staff being trained to an appropriate National Vocational Qualification (N.V.Q) in the delivery of their particular responsibilities.

To consistently review our operations to ensure the protection of health and safety of our staff, customers and the protection of the environment.

To provide a kerbside dry recycling service to at least 90% of the District's domestic properties, in order to lessen the amount of waste going to landfill.

To inspect within 1 working day of being informed: abandoned cars, hate graffitti, dangerous articles and then to make arrangements for their safe disposal or removal if required.

To undertake a minimum of 900 district wide monitoring visits in order to assess the levels of litter and detritus in our neighbourhoods and towns to allow us to review or revise our street cleansing arrangements.

We will consult and communicate annually with partners and stakeholders (Parish and Town Council's, Police, County Council, interest groups) to ensure that revisions to our operations or schedules are considered and where possible are complimentary to partners exisiting plans and strategies.

We will endeavour to provide an emergency response within 2 working days of a request from our residents for pest control or septic tank treatment.

If a waste bin cannot be collected our waste staff will post a pre-printed card to the customer detailing the reasons why the waste bin or bag has not been collected. We will retrieve missed wheeled bins or black bag collections (if they are as a result of our failure) within 2 working days of being notified.

We will provide adequate notice in local newspapers, on the Council's website, and by pre-recorded message for telephone enquiries for changes to waste collection rounds, because of Bank Holidays, or re-organisation of rounds.

Trees and Hedgerows

We will process applications for surgery to trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders within 8 weeks.

We will process notifications of proposed surgery to trees in Conservation Areas within 6 weeks.

We will process Hedgerow Removal Notices within 6 weeks.