‘It was an absolutely chaotic experience’

New unitary council’s customer service criticised by councillor who has made public a farcical experience of having to communicate through a glass window

By Sarah Ward

The customer service levels of the new North Northamptonshire Council have come under fire as one councillor described her absurd experience of trying to access a building for a pre-booked appointment.

Oundle councillor Annabel de Capell Brooke told the first meeting of the service delivery, performance and customers advisory panel yesterday that she was left waiting outside for ten minutes on the intercom at the Thrapston offices and when she was dealt with the experience was unsatisfactory.

The new authority, which launched in April, has been operating a largely phone-based system across its councils offices due to Covid precautions with face-to-face appointments having to be pre-booked.

Once restrictions are lifted the authority is considering continuing the pre-booked appointment system and could scrap the drop-in service that was previously operated across the district and borough.

A report to the advisory panel (which makes recommendations to the executive) says that …