Lewes District Council

Complaints Procedure

We're sorry if our service hasn't met your expectations. We strive to provide a high-quality service at all times. However, if you'd like to make an official complaint, please follow our procedure.

Our complaints procedure sets out clearly how to make a complaint and provides a timetable for a response and action to solve the problem. It also details how appeal decisions are handled.

Complaint Procedure

Step 1

Please contact the member of staff or department who provided the service. Explain what has happened and let them know what you would like the Council to do to put things right. We will try to resolve your complaint at this stage.

You can submit details of your complaint by filling in our online complaints form.

Step 2

If you do not accept the response to your complaint you can ask the Head of Department to review your complaint. He or she will give you a further response within 20 working days.

Step 3

If you are not satisfied with the response from the Head of Department, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a Panel of three District Councillors who have not previously been involved in dealing with your complaint. You will have an opportunity to see and comment on the report about your complaint before it goes to the Panel.

Step 4

If you are not satisfied with the Panel's decision you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate. The Ombudsman may decide not to look into a complaint until we have had a chance to consider it under this procedure.

Other Disputes

Some disputes may need to be handled outside of our complaints procedure.

This occurs where a separate right of appeal exists, for example, in relation to planning decisions, determinations of housing benefit or decisions about the amount of council tax you pay.

Also, if you wish to disagree with a decision of the Council or one of its committees, where legal proceedings are involved or where you have made a claim for compensation which we refer to our insurers.

Equal Opportunities

We take complaints about equal opportunities, discrimination or harassment very seriously. Such complaints will be dealt with by the Head of Department in the first instance.

You may wish to contact Sompriti, East Sussex Disability Association or the Hate Crime Manager at Victim Support Sussex for help and advice.

Do It Online

Report It

Apply For It

Find It

Pay It

Have Your Say

Search the site

Contact Us