Compliments and complaints

Speech bubbles - one with a cross in it and one with a tick

Tell us what you think about our services - we are always glad to hear from you...

We strive to deliver the best possible services and welcome all feedback, whether it is a compliment or complaint, to help us provide quality council services and look at ways of making improvements where possible.

Make a complaint

You can make a formal complaint relating to services which we, rather than Lancashire County Council, are involved in or have responsibility for.

Please note: if your issue relates to on street parking, issues with roads or pavements, schools or concessionary bus travel you need to contact Lancashire County Council.

Getting you to the right place

We get a number of enquiries where people don't actually want to make a complaint they just haven't found out how to raise the query.

Our top queries, which you may resolve quicker by visiting the following pages, include:

How to make a complaint

To make a complaint complete the following online form:

Make a complaint

Please note: complaints must be submitted in writing. This includes electronic submissions. However, in line with the requirements of the Legislation.gov - Equality Act 2010, we can make reasonable adjustments to assist you if you have a disability that prevents you from making your complaint in writing.

We can also help if English is not your first language. If you need support in completing a complaint form please let us know.

Making a complaint about a councillor

If you wish to make a complaint about a councillor, please see complaints against councillors.

Complaints we don't accept

We do not accept the following type of complaints:

Anonymous complaints
Something you knew about more than 12 months before you raised it with the council
Requests for information or explanation of council policy or practice
Complaint about a council policy
Matters for which you already have a right of appeal or you could have gone to a Court, Tribunal or Government Minister
Something which affects all or most of the people of Preston
HR / Recruitment matters
Contracts for the supply of goods and services

What happens next?

The complaints procedure gives you the opportunity to raise a complaint with us. Each directorate is responsible for handling its own complaints. Our directorates are:

Chief Executive - Policy and External Relations
Community and Wellbeing - Revenues and Benefits Shared Service, Environmental Health, ICT, Customer Contact Centre, Advice and Community Services and Culture and Events
Environment and Property - Neighbourhood Services, Investment Property, Operational Property and Engineering
Development and Housing - City Growth and Regeneration, Development Management, Building Control and Private Sector Housing
Resources and S151 Officer - Legal and Democratic Services, Financial Services, Audit and Workforce.

Stage 1

An acknowledgement will be sent within 5 working days and a full written response provided within 20 working days from receipt of your complaint.

If more time is needed a letter will be sent giving reasons for the delay and a new date for the response.

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with our response at Stage 1 you may request that your complaint progress to Stage 2, please let us know within 14 days stating the reasons why you are not happy with our response and what you would like us to do to put things right.

At this stage the Chief Executive will arrange for a senior officer unconnected with the case to carry out a further independent investigation.

This officer will acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days and a full written response will be provided within 35 working days from receipt of your request.

If more time is needed a letter will be sent giving reasons for the delay and a date by which you can expect the matter to be resolved.

Local Government Ombudsman

If you are unhappy about the way you have been dealt with you can refer your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman who may decide to investigate the matter further. However, the Ombudsman may ask that our procedures are completed before carrying out their investigation.

The Ombudsman will investigate the way your case has been handled, or our failure to do something but does not question our decision simply because you do not agree with it.

Contact the Ombudsman

You can contact the Local Government Ombudsman using the details below:

The Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 OEH

Policy on unreasonably persistent complainants and/or customers and behaviour

It has been recognised by the Local Government Ombudsman and Social Care Ombudsman that certain people pursue complaints in a way which can impede an investigation or can have significant resource implication for authorities.

We have produced a policy on unreasonably persistent complainants and/or customers and behaviour to ensure that all complainants/customers receive a proportional amount of officer time and certain individuals do not take up disproportionate amounts of time, to the extent that it inhibits a service to others.

View the policy on unreasonably persistent complainants