A Mid Wales Assembly Member has requested advice from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales after complaints from residents that Powys County Council’s planning department repeatedly ignores correspondence.
Montgomeryshire’s Assembly Member, Russell George, has raised the matter with the Ombudsman after failing to receive replies from the council himself.
He said:
"Both constituents and I have to wait months without replies. This is completely unacceptable.
"On some occasions, I have chased correspondence three times over the course of three months. There’s just no excuse for this inefficiency.
"I have previously raised this issue with the Leader of the Council, but I have now raised this matter with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to seek his advice on how my constituents and I can receive timely responses to queries.
"The Ombudsman has now advised that I make an official complaint about these ‘non-responses’ so that the Chief Executive of the Council is fully aware that there are serious issues with Cabinet and Planning Department responses to important and time-sensitive queries.
"The Ombudsman has also informed me that he would be prepared to look into the matter further himself if the poor service continues."