The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has issued a report following his investigation of a complaint against Slough Borough Council.
The complaint related to the recovery of Slough council tax arrears in the case of a Mrs Carter (not her real name). The Ombudsman found there had been maladministration by the council which caused an injustice to the complainant.
Andrew Blake Herbert, strategic director of resources Slough Borough Council, said: “We accept our handling of this specific case was not up to our usual standards. We were already looking at ways in which we can improve our practice and avoid this happening again in future.
“However, we have some concerns about aspects of the LGO’s report and recommendations and we are considering our response. The council has three months to decide any action it has to take or proposes to take.
“The council has a duty to all residents to ensure all council tax owed is paid in full so we can continue to provide a broad range of services to those people who need them. We pursue unpaid bills to ensure the majority who diligently pay their council tax are not disadvantaged.”
Copies of the Slough report will be available to view by the public during normal office hours at the Town Hall on Bath Road from democratic services starting from April 6 to April 29 2009. Anyone is entitled to take copies of the report or extracts from it. Copies will be supplied at a reasonable charge.
Slough Borough Council
