COMPLAINTS about a council rose dramatically last year, but so did the number of compliments.

Calderdale Council has revealed it received 453 informal corporate complaints in 2009/10 – up from 172 the previous year.

Formal complaints stood at 127, down from 133. But three of the 127 were not happy with responses, taking matters to the council’s chief executive.

Figures show the council received 544 compliments in 2009/10, up from 323 in 2008/09.

Complaints and compliments involved all council departments, except those in the Adult and Children’s Social Care, which are dealt with through statutory procedures.

The disclosure of personal data, failure to deal with dog fouling and lack of gritting were among criticisms, although praise included efforts to tackle dog fouling.

The Local Government Ombudsman investigated 23 complaints and made two findings of maladministration with injustice against the council – relating to “multiple failures” in the handling of an extension to a school.