You said: No obvious way to report issues with weeds
We did: Created a new online form so weed issues can be reported directly to the team.
You said: It wasn’t always clear which department to contact
We did: Improved the layout of our contact us page and updated the landing pages of all major services to make the navigation clearer.
You said: You were having to wait a long time on the phone to get to speak to someone about Council Tax, benefits and business rates issues
We did: Introduced several improvements including extra afternoon appointments for business rates customers, an updated booking system to notify customers about the availability of appointments seven days in advance and queue position information on our Council Tax telephone line. We also promoted alternative ways for people to contact us including live chat, our appointment booking service and our Open Portal (self service) facility.
You said: It was difficult to get informal advice on the care, development and alteration of heritage buildings
We did: Introduced an online booking service so customers can easily book an appointment at their convenience with our specialist heritage and conservation officers.
You said: Our planning website pages are confusing and it is hard to find the information needed
We did: Implemented a new structure on the planning section of the website to make navigation easier. Changes were also made to the content to simplify some of the language used. This is an ongoing project.
You said: You wanted a way to get regular updates about the former Raven Hotel in Droitwich Spa
We did: Introduced an FAQs page on our website and put up signage on the building linking to it so people could get real time updates.
You said: The sandbags we provide for residents at risk of flooding were too heavy for some people to move.
We did: Introduced smaller and lighter sandbags.
You said: The only way to report issues with our toilets was to call a number between 9am and 5pm and this wasn’t clearly advertised
We did: Created an online reporting form and introduced posters in our toilets clearly advertising how issues can be reported with a web link and QR code for convenience.
You said: There was no obvious way to report overflowing litter bins
We did: Introduced an online reporting form so people could easily report issues 24/7.
You said: Could we do anything to improve signage in our toilets to make them easier for people with dementia to use
We did: We will soon be introducing dementia friendly exit signs in one of our public toilets in Droitwich Spa as a trial. If successful, we will roll this out to all of our toilet blocks to make it easier for people living with dementia to use our facilities, maintain independence and reduce anxiety.
You said: High school students who attended our Local Democracy Day in November 2024 said they wanted us to make it easier to report damaged bins
We did: We created and published a form on our website where people can report damage or other issues with litter and dog poo bins.
You said: High school Students who attended our Local Democracy Day in November 2023 told us they were concerned about underage vape sales and the impact of vaping on young people
We did: We worked with a group of young people to develop an anti-vaping campaign which we targeted at middle and high schools and youth settings across the district. This included a hard-hitting poster campaign in schools, bus and supermarket adverts and a radio and social media campaign.
You said: The web link to information about the small electrical item recycling service wasn't working
We did: We updated the page and fixed the broken links.