Council Complaint Letter Template
Write a formal complaint to your local council about housing, planning decisions, environmental issues, missed collections or other council services.
Use this template when you need to make a formal written complaint to your local council. Most councils have a formal complaints procedure and require complaints to be submitted in writing before they can be escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
How long should a council take to respond to a complaint?
Most councils acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days and give a full response within 20 working days under their published complaints procedure, though timescales vary by council.
Can the Local Government Ombudsman investigate my complaint straight away?
No. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman will only look at a complaint once you have completed the council's own internal complaints process, usually both stages of it.