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Letter of Complaint to the Council

By: Jeff Durham - Updated: 19 Feb 2024 | comments*Discuss
 
Letter Of Complaint To Council

Your local council provides you with many services and facilities. These include refuse collection providing housing, offering sports and leisure facilities, keeping the roads cleaned and maintained to name just a few. We all pay for these services via our council tax so your council has an obligation to ensure that the services and facilities they offer are of as high a standard as we would expect if we were to go to a restaurant or if we bought something from a shop.

How to Write a Letter of Complaint to Your Local Council

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the service you receive from your council, you have every right to make a complaint. Often, you might initially do this by phone but it may be necessary to put your complaint in writing, either by using the council’s own complaints form or by writing a letter to them. In the event that your written complaint is not dealt with by your council satisfactorily, you should follow that up with another letter to them stating that, if it isn’t resolved by a certain date, you will report the matter to your Local Government Ombudsman.

As with all forms of written complaints, you should address your letter to the appropriate department and, if possible, try to find out the name of the relevant person within the department who is responsible for dealing with customers’ written complaints. For example, if your local park is continually fouled by dogs or the play area is being wrecked by teenagers, it’s no use you sending a letter to the housing department. It will only delay any resolution.

Your letter should be written in a formal style. You should include as much information as possible about the nature of your complaint and how you would like the situation to be resolved. Remember to include your address and the location of the problem if it occurs elsewhere.

Here is an example of a letter you might write to the refuse collection department of your local council.

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I would like to make a formal complaint regarding the emptying of my outdoor bin provided by the council, for the past 2 weeks my bin has not been emptied. I live at 24 Forton Close, Goatworth.I always place it right outside my front gate by 8am on each collection day, as stated on your website and the lid is always fully down.

There is nothing in the bin except household refuse so I see no reason why it shouldn’t have been collected and emptied. I have also spoken to my neighbours who have all told me that their bins have been emptied over the same period.Given that the next collection day is only 3 days away, I would like you to contact me by phone to explain why my bin has not been collected for the past 2 weeks and to also confirm that it will be emptied this week.

Because your department have failed to empty it on the last two occasions collection was due, I have obviously accumulated more refuse over this period. I have put this into five large black bin bags, fully tied up and secure and I will place these next to the bin for collection this week.

I look forward to receiving an explanation by phone from you on the day you receive this letter and also a resumption of my refuse being collected this week and my contact number is 01436 754981.

Yours sincerely,

Gordon Brewer

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Please I need help to write an email to the council regarding pack of stray dogs in my area
Queenly - 19-Feb-24 @ 11:29 AM
I need help writing a letter In regards to my unregistered dogs and also in regards to the tremendous amount of fines I'm receiving from mo local shore council
Dottie - 1-Nov-23 @ 10:45 PM
Haveing trouble with neighbours year half through them iver got mental health bad ,to frighten go out Neighboour 31 hornbeam road hayes ub49ee ,is the main person They don't want white English in block And there only me and man ,that UK white This woman hit me round face and grab me by neck .I did not respond ,then ebike cost 625 which my mum dad bought me ,was taken out my shed ,my property was broken and stolen ,shed broken into about 20 time or more 6000 worth stuff I saved when working,7 camera broken I shore it got do with 31 and 43 , I caughtnumber 43 in my shed standing in side ,try get photo couldnt so got an alarm around my neck ,I shouted at her get out my shed ,she ran outside her back door and pick up a brick and aimed it at me ,again I told her put it down . I've not touched any of these woman never the only thing I've use attack alarm that victim gave me. 31 what she does pick phone up does faces behind the camera and I respond verbally .31 went away April till beginning of August and last year .want get out here mental health get worse please help me don't ignore this All they want do fight Before I move here I've never had trouble police or anyone .they given me bad reputation, they clever how they turn on me check my records police 31 her sister bang on window she had her camera pointed at me ,she done sign I was crazy what thing to do with someone got mental health and I went made and they were laughing sister and woman 31 Please please help me they won't stop Karen bulley 41 hornbeam road Hayes ub49ee 07927379433
Kaz - 20-Aug-23 @ 9:04 PM
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MA - 22-May-23 @ 11:39 PM
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Mikey - 10-Feb-23 @ 11:39 AM
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BEN - 7-Jan-23 @ 10:09 PM
Hi, Please help. Help me to write to the local council about overpopulated houses. Some help a homeless family for almostthree years not but the both have 2 childreneach 12 years old and are opposite sex and 3 years the same sex. I will be very grateful if some helps to write to mine local council. Thanks Nan
Nan - 7-Jul-22 @ 7:05 PM
Hi my name is Mac Nugget and I live in the apartment numbered 2378 and I am writing to you because of the amount of pet noise in our apartment. My wife and I are going nuts. The neighbours are always getting new pets and caring for them. It's a zoo even in our house! The pets are always barking, hissing etc. They are making noises from 6 o’ clock to 7 thirty. I understand the council can control these kinds of problems. So can you write a letter to them and tell them about the animals. I already wrote a letter to them asking them to either get rid of the pet or stop the barking but they wouldn't answer me. They wouldn’t even touch the letter like they put a kind of deadly virus on there. But you as the council have more power in loads of stuff and i don’t think they would ignore you. My wife and I are really sad about this because you put a sign saying no animals allowed and your apartment has high star ratings.
hi me ??? - 4-Jun-21 @ 11:11 AM
This disgusting that mear leaf me with. Dirty water that is not fresh it is make me I'll because I am make claim mear came out said was fresh when it was not because make me with infections and it's making my toddler ill
Foad - 10-May-21 @ 12:48 PM
Mear come out leave me with dirty water with little bit in my water make I complain I got toddler who is three years old
Foad - 10-May-21 @ 12:45 PM
Hello I would like to make a formal complaint to Blackburn with Darwen council against two social workers. My late father was placed in a nursing after becoming paralysed and suffering memory loss due to an accident he had in 2016. I have had issues with my late fathers level of care and the trust I put into the social workers, as I was promised my father would be sent home to me which was what my initial plan was when I discovered my father had the accident, so myself and my sons could take care of him. Reports stated that my father had vascular dementia and so he had trouble understanding anyone but he understood me very well which is stated in the each assessment my father had ever had. The social workers hid important information from me e.g his medication being stopped, him being in end of life, this was of course very heart breaking when it suddenly slipped out from one of the social workers mouths and then becoming very embarrassed and losing control of the conversation. All I did was give my dad hope “ not long now dad you will be coming home soon “ and day by dayI could see my dad becoming more and more hopeless that he will never come home which is al he wanted to be with his daughter. He ended up staying in two nursing homes for two years.The events that took place with me and my dad are heart breaking, but to cut the story short my father lost hope and died right before my eyes without any warning without being ill. This event has left me traumatised, I have trouble sleeping, my appetite is poor and am fighting a thyroid dysfunction song with taking care of two small children. I want justice please can you help me?.
Foz - 22-Apr-21 @ 10:38 AM
Hello I would like to make a formal complaint to Blackburn with Darwen council against two social workers. My late father was placed in a nursing after becoming paralysed and suffering memory loss due to an accident he had in 2016. I have had issues with my late fathers level of care and the trust I put into the social workers, as I was promised my father would be sent home to me which was what my initial plan was when I discovered my father had the accident, so myself and my sons could take care of him. Reports stated that my father had vascular dementia and so he had trouble understanding anyone but he understood me very well which is stated in the each assessment my father had ever had. The social workers hid important information from me e.g his medication being stopped, him being in end of life, this was of course very heart breaking when it suddenly slipped out from one of the social workers mouths and then becoming very embarrassed and losing control of the conversation. All I did was give my dad hope “ not long now dad you will be coming home soon “ and day by dayI could see my dad becoming more and more hopeless that he will never come home which is al he wanted to be with his daughter. He ended up staying in two nursing homes for two years.The events that took place with me and my dad are heart breaking, but to cut the story short my father lost hope and died right before my eyes without any warning without being ill. This event has left me traumatised, I have trouble sleeping, my appetite is poor and am fighting a thyroid dysfunction song with taking care of two small children. I want justice please can you help me?.
Foz - 22-Apr-21 @ 9:22 AM
Hello I would like to make a formal complaint to Blackburn with Darwen council against two social workers. My late father was placed in a nursing after becoming paralysed and suffering memory loss due to an accident he had in 2016. I have had issues with my late fathers level of care and the trust I put into the social workers, as I was promised my father would be sent home to me which was what my initial plan was when I discovered my father had the accident, so myself and my sons could take care of him. Reports stated that my father had vascular dementia and so he had trouble understanding anyone but he understood me very well which is stated in the each assessment my father had ever had. The social workers hid important information from me e.g his medication being stopped, him being in end of life, this was of course very heart breaking when it suddenly slipped out from one of the social workers mouths and then becoming very embarrassed and losing control of the conversation. All I did was give my dad hope “ not long now dad you will be coming home soon “ and day by dayI could see my dad becoming more and more hopeless that he will never come home which is al he wanted to be with his daughter. He ended up staying in two nursing homes for two years.The events that took place with me and my dad are heart breaking, but to cut the story short my father lost hope and died right before my eyes without any warning without being ill. This event has left me traumatised, I have trouble sleeping, my appetite is poor and am fighting a thyroid dysfunction song with taking care of two small children. I want justice please can you help me?.
Foz - 21-Apr-21 @ 3:36 PM
Hi there! I wrote an extensive explanation of the help I needed with my complaint to my local council. I didn't receive confirmation of it from your site but it was on your site for a several days. There was no reply although I checked several times. I saved it in my browser now it's disappeared and I can't find it anywhere. Can you help please? I need to deal with this issue and the text of my request for help would be very useful Thanks LD
LD - 2-Feb-21 @ 3:15 PM
Pls I need a letter of complaint to the government about a man that built fence on a major road that the government should come and ask him to remove the fence
Obidon - 12-Dec-20 @ 9:54 AM
I would like you to help me Compensation about my housingAssociation there was a flood coming down from all the house I will kitchen sink and bathroom sink was coming all the water that the whole building was using and it made I will kitchen damaged and I washing machine was seven month old washing machine was damaged it's not working anymore we don't have no washing machine in my house and my mother is elderly she doesn't work and we've been going to outside to wash out close but it's taking so long and because of the lockdown we don't have a washing machine right now and I really need you to write a letter or email so that I could get compensation and they could fix our kitchen and a bathroom is really smelly and horrible they even damaged the floor in the corridor the wood is damaged I want you to write this for me please in a nice way so that I could fight for my rights
Su - 8-Nov-20 @ 12:22 AM
I waiting to write letter to the southwark council Regardingthis issues Lift no working for over week The stairs ful of dumps and drug addict Urine in lift and the stairs The smells very strong Drug dealers No safety for children to go out Please help me with this to write a official complaintthank you Kindly
Tarik - 11-Aug-20 @ 8:54 AM
Could you please give me some advice on writing to my local council I have a friend who as three children and one of the children is going though intense chemo she lives in a flat that is not fit for living in it is full of damp and this is also making the flat very cold which is not good for them and definitely not good for the child going though chemo she as had the council out and they have moved her to priority but each time she as bid on houses she as been really low down on the list of priority. She is really started to feel like she isn't getting anywhere and she is very worried about her son getting ill because of the damp and cold. Could you advice me on the right way to write a letter of complaint thank you
Ac - 19-Feb-20 @ 7:38 AM
I would like to complain to the local council because they have bombarded walthamstow with parking permits. This is not just a problem but a concerning factor flying across my mind for many reasons. One of the main reasonsthe council is doing this, is so that they get money when people buy permit tickets to park or when people park in restricted area even though they are not allowed to. Like i mean what am i supposed to do. we are being deprived from visiting are local family members through out the day. Doesn't the council gain enough money anyway especially from the speeding cameras. now one of the main main reasons i am campaigning for this is that i can not even take part of classes and youth clubs in walthamstow because of the parking problems it own. help me with campaigning with the council please, it is your duty thank you yours sincerely,
huzaifah - 17-Jan-20 @ 11:02 AM
I want to right a letter to some one who made the park across the road from us I don't no how i have sent a letter the houseing group or the local councils my son is 4 years old there are no baby swings for little ones to go on there is only a rop swing there he as full off th st to day and is face is a right mess there is room to put baby swings there
Kf - 7-Sep-19 @ 11:10 PM
Road name of Our residence use by couple of places in our Local Council so need to write a letter to Chairman of the Council to change our road name to another name described by us. Dulip
dulla - 8-Aug-19 @ 11:53 AM
Hi could you help me to write a complaint letter to the council? My 2 year old daughter was at the park and the gate to the park which is steel ruffle 25kgs or so fell on her injuring her face and leg we had to call an ambulance cause she was in and out of consciousness. The hospital said she’s a very lucky girl to only have scratches and bruises and that it could have been way worse.
Santana lees - 31-Jul-19 @ 8:15 AM
Can you help me with a complaint of how to write a letter to council and discuss the poor outdoor play area?.Thankyou
MIkar - 10-May-19 @ 12:48 PM
II don’t know how to write a letter to council that i want a garden hose outdoor Plz help me
Ayesha - 25-Apr-19 @ 4:14 PM
Please help me i would love to draft a letter to my ward councillor to please do right to his community, no toilet, kiddies play ground, houses nothing he has done for the community.
Mabure - 15-Jan-19 @ 3:53 PM
Good evening, I wonder if you can help please? I moved into my property in 2012 at the time my son was in secondary school. I sent evidence to council tax when he went to college and subsequently when my son when to university to show he was a full time student in order that I could receive 25% single person discount. My son lived at home whilst in college but when to university in Leeds, some 200 odd miles away from home. Couple of years ago I fell in to arrears with council tax mainly due to illness. I eventually had to stop working and applied for benefits including help with council tax in the process of which I have found out that I only ever received a single person reduction for council tax in the year 2012 - 2013. Council tax claim they were not aware that my son was away at university and deny having received the official letter provided by University of Leeds confirming my son's status as a student which I sent to them. Whilst I still have the original letter from the university, it has been a few year now. My son finished university last year, he lived in the halls in his first year but in fact had to apply for student exemption from council tax in both his second and third year when he rented privately. My question is how do I write to council tax to review. I informed them my son was staying on in education when he turned 18, why would they have only applied the discount for one year and not the following years. Effectively, If the 25% discount was applied, I would not have the amount of arrears I have. Do you have a template which I can adapt to send to the council regarding this matter please? Any assistance would be appreciated and thanks for your time either way. Many thanks, Kat
K - 19-Aug-18 @ 2:26 AM
Please help me write the letter to my council urging them to build a playground for children Thank you
Nakamwe - 2-Aug-18 @ 3:03 PM
I live in Newham Council on a three bedroom council flat. Me and my wife have been bidding for house in the last 10 year. The council has given us priority in a five to six bedroom house since we are all ten the eldest of my children being 20 year while the youngest being 2 years. But unfortunately there has been none in the last three years dispite bidding all these years. We've requested the council to consider for a four bedroom but they still insist that we must bid for a five bedroom house that are none-existing. We have requested them to assist us in getting these property from private landlords but they are reluactant since they do not want to pay for large deposits. The condition has completely affected my children accademically and healthwise while we are left with lots of stress. There is no enough room to manouver especially my children. The only place I feel relaxed is when am at work and when we are all outside these property. I have raised this matter a numer of time to our MP and Councillor but they have done nothing since they all belong to the same party. We are so distressfuly and feel we have been abandoned by the council. What affects us most is the fact that I have lived in the borough for more than a quarter century and it just seems we have to be know known to get proper housing and not as our right. Am sure if this situation was with the private landlord they would have been taken to court by the same council for the council feel immuned from prosecution. I request to be adviced on what to do.
JM - 3-Jul-18 @ 5:31 PM
I don't no how to write letter to complain aboutpavement broken
Bd - 14-Jun-18 @ 12:10 AM
Hi,to all colleagues,please help me .how to write complaint letter about anew supermarket opening on a site of a playground.
Avan - 5-Jun-18 @ 3:46 PM
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