Somerset Council faces criticism over long telephone wait times

Somerset Council is facing criticism over long telephone wait times and difficulties in obtaining responses to inquiries. During a full council meeting, Conservative opposition deputy leader Councillor Dawn Denton reported that residents, parish councils, and MPs have experienced telephone holds of up to 20 minutes.

Councillor Denton highlighted concerns regarding a lack of communication, noting that some residents are told they can only communicate via email and are not transferred to specific officers. She also cited a personal instance of waiting seven months for a response concerning a vulnerable adult.

In response, the council stated that the average call wait time remains under six minutes, though officials admitted a recent spike in demand may have caused longer delays for some callers. Executive Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts defended the customer service team's record while stating that improvements to systems and technology are being considered.