4.1 Different Kinds of Council
In Scotland there are currently 3 types of Council. On the mainland there is a two-tier structure of regions and districts which between them supply the full range of local government services. There are 9 regional councils and 53 district councils. There are 3 main island groups Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. Each of these has a single-tier council.
Every council has elected members or councillors who decide on policy. There are 1,681 councillors in Scotland, You can find out who your local councillor is by asking at your district or regional council offices. You will find the address and telephone number of your councils in the telephone directory or the Municipal Yearbook which will be in your public library.
Regional councils are responsible for providing the larger scale services in
their area such as transport, education, social work, police and fire services
and strategic planning, including roads. District councils are responsible for
housing, environmental services, recreation services and local planning. (Borders,
Dumfries and Galloway and Highland Regional Councils have responsibility for
local planning issues in their areas).
If you are not sure who is responsible for a particular service in your area
you should ask your local council office for advice.
You may, however, be aware that the Government has been examining the structure of local government in Scotland and proposes that there should be 28 single-tier authorities in place of the existing two-tier structure. If Parliament approves the proposals the new councils could take over from existing authorities on 1 April 1996.
4.2 You should get good service
Your council should provide you with a generally good service. For example, answering enquiries promptly, using name badges, providing equal access for all to offices and not discriminating on gender, race or disability.
You can complain to a designated monitoring officer if something goes wrong. If you are not satisfied with the way your council deals with your problem, you can complain to your own councillor. Your council will tell you where you can go to see your councillor or you can write to him/her at the district or regional offices as appropriate.
If you feel that your council has treated you unfairly, you can write to the Local Government Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can recommend that your council pays you compensation if it is found that there has been maladministration by the council. You can get a free leaflet "Having an argument with your council, Scottish Homes, New Town? Call in the Referee" from your local council or from the Commissioner (Ombudsman) for Local Administration in Scotland, 23 Walker Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7HX, (phone 031-225 5300).
As a last step you can take your council to court. You should get advice from a solicitor or a Citizens' Advice Bureau before you do this. You may have to pay the council's costs as well as your own if you lose the case.