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Complaints and Compliments

We want to give you the best possible service but we know that sometimes things can go wrong. When they do, we will work with you to put things right.

We also want to know if things go well so can share good practice across our services, so please tell us.

If you would like to raise a service issue today (such as a missed bin collection), the quickest route to reaching the relevant team might be using our contact us form or the links below. You may need to sign into a MyStAlbans Account to use some of these forms.

Our complaints policy classifies a complaint as:

"An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents."

A service request is a request for us to take action to put something right, and we may decide to handle these informally where we can.

You can tell us about a complaint or compliment online as a guest, or log into your MyStAlbans District Account to save time by using contact details on your account to help complete the form and upload supporting documents.

Planning Enforcement or Building Control are now provided jointly by St Albans City and District Council and Watford Borough Council.  For complaints about these services, please visit Watford's webpage.

Planning Enforcement and Building Control complaints, compliments and comments

For St Albans City and District Council Services, tell us about a complaint, service request, compliment, or give us feedback

When you have told us about your complaint, we will:

  • Acknowledge your complaint and let you know when you will receive a response
  • Make sure the right person investigates your complaint
  • Give you a contact point
  • Investigate your complaint quickly and efficiently
  • Give you a written response to your complaint within 10 days (for new complaints)
  • If we have made a mistake we will apologise, put it right and take action to prevent it from happening again.

Making a complaint about highway issues (Road works, street lighting, pavement or potholes)

Highway issues such as road works, street lighting, pavement or potholes must be reported to Hertfordshire County Council.

Making a complaint about a Councillor/Parish Councillor

To make a complaint about the conduct of a Councillor at St Albans City & District Council or Councillor at a Parish or Town Council, visit the Councillors webpage.

Your right to escalate your complaint

We hope we are able to resolve your complaints.  If after going through both stages of our complaints procedure you are not satisfied with the action we have taken, you can refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman or Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman for review. This is a free and independent service.

If you are a housing tenant or a leaseholder, you should contact the Housing Ombudsman. You can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any stage of your complaint for advice.

Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 111 3000

For all other complaints, you can contact the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. 

Website: www.lgo.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 061 0614

Documents including our Self-assessment form, can be found below.

Complaints Policy

The Council will deal with your complaint on either an informal or formal basis, but there are some exceptions, usually where there is an appeal process in place.  Our policy explains this in more detail.

Our Unacceptable Behaviour Policy

Most contact we have with customers is positive, but we understand that at times people may get frustrated when there’s a problem that needs to be put right.  

Our policy sets out what we will do if a customer behaves in a manner that is threatening or abusive to our officers.