Council told they're 'doing a terrible job' and asked to apologise

The council leader has been told to apologise for residents for “doing a terrible job” of providing services in the Capital.

Residents are less satisfied with bin collections and street cleansing than at any time in the last 15 years, the survey revealed.

Councillors discussed the Edinburgh People’s Survey, which found that satisfaction with road maintenance has now fallen to 42 per cent across the city as a whole. Satisfaction with pavement maintenance has now dropped to 47 per cent citywide.

Residents are less satisfied with bin collections and street cleansing than at any time in the last 15 years, the survey revealed.

Conservative leader Cllr Iain Whyte said the results showed there was “a whole list of poor areas where people are less then satisfied with services” and accused the SNP-Labour administration of wanting to “cover their ears and hope it all goes away”.

Green Cllr Chas Booth added that “satisfaction in key council areas is declining” and that “we do need action to get back on track.”

Edinburgh People Survey: Most satisfied Capital residents revealed in survey

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Robert Aldridge said Edinburgh is a great place to live “despite the council, not because of the council”.

His party colleague, Cllr Kevin Land called for an apology to residents, accusing council leaders of “smugness and self-congratulation”.

He added: “We have seen the verdict with a woeful record of failure. That lot are doing a terrible job running the council.”

A huge 95 per cent still gave Edinburgh the thumbs up as a place to live. Some 89 per cent of people said they were satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live and 73 per cent were happy with the council’s management of their area.

Council leader Cllr Adam McVey said: “This report shows a significant amount of satisfaction with the direction this city is going in.”