A LABOUR councillor has slammed a council department for failing to respond to his complaint -- that it was too slow responding complaints.

Coun Simon Danczuk, who is standing down at the next local elections in May from Earcroft ward, has hit out at the "complacent" technical services department at Blackburn with Darwen, which is responsible for road and Traffic works in the borough.

He has now called on council leader Malcolm Doherty and chief executive Phil Watson to launch an inquiry into the way the department is run.

But council chiefs say they have done much of the work requested and will be in touch with him soon.

Last October Coun Danczuk said community representatives in his ward told him that local traffic issues were not being adequately dealt with by the technical services department and he called for a meeting with Alan Peake, director of the department.

Coun Danczuk said: "On November 6 myself, Coun Mary Leaver and Michael Barrett the treasurer of Earcroft Community Association met Alan and one of his officers to run through a long list of traffic concerns that residents had raised with me and on which I thought the officers had dragged their feet. The meeting discussed the various issues and it was resolved that some of my complaints would be investigated and I would receive a full explanation as to why the public servants had failed in their duties."

Among the issues discussed were: Officers taking several months to follow up a site meeting and keep residents informed about HGVs using Sandringham Road;

Setting up a Community Safety Group to tackle speeding traffic on Birch Hall Avenue;

The time it was taking to close off a "rat run" on Clarence Street;

The movement of derelict vehicles near to Sandringham Road;

Traffic problems relating to the back street of Lynwood Avenue;

The regularity of the bus service in Earcroft ward.

However, in the three months since the meeting -- which had been organised to discuss the department's failure to communicate -- Coun Danczuk said none of those who attended the meeting heard anything more from the department.

Coun Danczuk said: "Having raised concerns about the technical services department many times over the last few years, both with senior council officers and in the press, I have come to the end of my tether. It should not take more than a quarter of a year to respond to a meeting that was about response times from officers.

"I have now written to both Phil Watson, the chief executive, and Malcolm Doherty calling on them to establish an independent inquiry into the culture within some sections of the technical services department and its leadership."

Coun Danczuk said: "If councillors are treated like this, I shudder to think how the public are treated."

But Graham Burgess, the council's executive director in charge of regeneration and technical services, said: "We have looked into Coun Danzcuk's concerns and an early review shows that much of the work has been carried out.

"We are continuing to look more fully into all the points raised and will report back to Coun Danczuk as soon as possible."