Complaints
This section provides information about the council’s complaints procedure.
We aim to provide you with high-quality value-for-money services. We have an ongoing commitment to improving services.
Receiving feedback from our customers is an important part of ensuring that our high quality is maintained, and as such we treat comments and complaints as an opportunity to make improvements.
As in all our contact with customers we will respond to your comment or complaint courteously, fairly, efficiently and we shall treat you with respect.
What is a complaint?
The council treats as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction about the council's action or lack of action or about the standard of a service provided. A complaint can be written or verbal.
A complaint is not:
- a request for service (such as the removal of “fly-tipping”) Requests for service can be made via our online Report it forms.
- a request for information or an explanation of council policy (such as why the council tax is set at a certain level)
- matters for which there is a right of appeal to an independent tribunal (such as planning applications, benefits decisions)
- matters which you can go to court about.
These issues will not be treated under the complaints procedure.
Online complaints form
Formal online complaints form - use this form only to submit a formal complaint as described above.
See also
- Making a complaint - the aims of our procedure
- Complaints - Informal stage
- Formal complaints - stage 1
- Formal complaints - stage 2
- Further information on complaints
- Local Government Ombudsman's Annual Review (LGO website)
You can also read the Complaints procedure leaflet and form (PDF document [77.5Kb]).
Complaints about councillors
There is a different procedure for complaints about councillors.
Comment cards
As we are committed to improving our services we want to know if you think we could have done better. The issue may seem minor to you, or you may not want it to be described as a complaint, but we do not want you to be discouraged from telling us how we are doing.
In the Help Shops and Town Hall reception we have comment cards. If you are visiting us or are using one of these services you may wish to use this method to let us know of ways to improve or tell us about good service you have received.
Last updated : 13/05/2013
