Introduction
Gosport Borough Council is committed to providing you, our customer, with excellent service.
Council staff always try to provide you with a first class service in a polite, efficient and fair way. If you feel that we have not done this you should tell us. Not only will we deal with your complaint quickly, but we can take action to improve services in the future.
We want to make it easy for you to let us know if you feel that any aspects of our service, procedures or performance are unsatisfactory. Following the procedure in this leaflet will ensure that your complaint will be dealt with quickly.
When we are wrong, we will say so and do our best to resolve the matter to your satisfaction. Council Officers will act upon complaints received on-line, in writing, by telephone or in person at the Town Hall. Staff will respond to your complaint quickly, effectively and efficiently.
Complaints are also a very useful guide to our performance. They may show weaknesses where services or procedures need to be improved. The more we know about the way you feel about our services, the better informed we are to bring about improvements.
WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?
For General Service problems such as missed bin collections, fly-tipping, grass cuttings, flower bed maintenance, bottle banks and reports of abandoned vehicles etc. should be e-mailed to enquiries@gosport.gov.uk to ensure a quick response from the Council’s contractor.
If you wish to complain about a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) please click here.
It is hoped that in most instances any problems that you experience can be resolved in your normal day-to-day dealings with Council Officers or by contacting the appropriate Manager – please refer to the names at the bottom of this guidance note. However, if you feel that you need to make a more formal complaint our easy to follow three stage process is set out below.
FORMAL COMPLAINTS
Formal complaints generally fall into one of seven categories:
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failure to provide a service at the level or standard expected by the Council;
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unhelpful attitude by an employee of the council;
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neglect or delay in answering a query or responding to a request for service;
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failure by an officer to follow the Council’s agreed policies, rules or procedures;
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failure by an officer to tell people their rights;
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malice, bias or discrimination on the part of an officer;
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complaint about a decision
Should you require any assistance please contact:
Ken Lucking
Corporate Services Manager
Gosport Borough Council
Town Hall
High Street
Gosport
Hampshire
PO12 1EB
Telephone: 023 9254 5305
E-mail: ken.lucking@gosport.gov.uk
Stage 1
Please write with details of your complaint and address to Ken Lucking as above, or use the on-line form below. Your complaint will then be referred to the relevant Manager and you should receive a response within 10 working days.
Formal Complaints - Online Form - Click here to view
For General Service problems such as missed bin collections, fly-tipping, grass cuttings, flower bed maintenance, bottle banks and reports of abandoned vehicles etc. should be e-mailed to enquiries@gosport.gov.uk to ensure a quick response from the Council's contractor.
A letter or e-mail (as appropriate) will be sent to you with the conclusions of the Manager. We hope that this will resolve the matter but if you are not satisfied with the response provided you may progress to Stage 2.
Stage 2
If you feel you wish to proceed to Stage 2 or you would like to discuss it further, you can contact Ken Lucking at the above address. He will then arrange for an independent review to be carried out. You should receive a response to a Stage 2 request within 20 working days.
A letter or e-mail (as appropriate) will be sent to you with the conclusions of the independent review.
Stage 3
If you remain dissatisfied, your complaint can go before a Panel of elected Councillors. You should request this through Ken Lucking as above. The Panel should take place within 30 working days of your request at a date convenient for you to attend if you wish.
At this stage of the procedure you will get a letter explaining the decision that has been made in relation to your complaint and the reason for it. If you still feel aggrieved you can then ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate your complaint.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN
The Local Government Ombudsman is an independent organisation set up by the Government to investigate complaints of maladministration by local authorities.
If you complain direct to the Local Government Ombudsman before the Council has had an opportunity to look at it, the Local Government Ombudsman will usually defer any action on the complaint until the Council has investigated the matter.
The Commission for Local Administration in England publishes a booklet entitled:
How to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman
Free copies are available at the Town Hall (and can be sent to you by request) and at most libraries.
GUIDE TO SERVICES
Please see below for a brief guide to the services provided by the various service units in your Council, together with the names of the Unit Managers you can contact prior to initiating the formal complaints procedure.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S UNIT
Chief Executive: Ian Lycett
Corporate Policy and Performance, Crime and Disorder, Economic Prosperity, Internal Audit, Personnel, Press and PR.
CORPORATE SERVICES
Manager : Ken Lucking
Customer Complaints Procedure; IT and Telecommunications; Printing and Graphic Design; Reception; Central Purchasing; Cashiers; Public Notice Boards, Freedom of Information; Data Protection and Emergency Planning.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Manager: Mike Jeffery
Traffic Management:
Bus Shelters; Traffic Regulation Orders
Planning and Building Control Services:
Development Control and Planning Applications; Development Briefs; Building Regulations; Dangerous Structures; Demolitions; Road Names and Postal Numbering, Forward Planning (e.g. Local Plan), Heritage Issues, Property Services
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Manager: David Jago
Environmental Health:
Food Safety and Hygiene; Health and Safety at Work; Licensing; Pollution Control and Pest Control.
Streetscene:
Car Parks; Litter Cleansing; Refuse Collection and Environmental Issues such as Recycling, Grounds Maintenance, Abandoned Vehicles, Amenity Skips and Dog Control.
FINANCIAL SERVICES:
Manager: Julian Bowcher
Financial management of your Council, including accounting, budgets, invoices, insurance and payroll; Council Tax; Business Rates; Benefits; Community Charge.
HOUSING SERVICES
Manager: Kim Carron
Housing Allocations, Advice and Homelessness Prevention, Maintenance of Council Owned Dwellings; General Services to Council Tenants and Leaseholders, Rent Collection, Private Sector Housing, Housing Strategy and Enabling.
LEGAL & DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT
Borough Solicitor: Linda Edwards
Legal work for the Council; Committee Administration and support; Electoral Registration and management of elections; Local Land Charges.
LEISURE AND CULTURAL SERVICES
Manager: David Martin
Ann's Hill Cemetery; Arts and Events; Community Recreation; Countryside Management; Parks and Open Spaces; Play Areas and Sports and Facilities Management, Engineering, Tourism and Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower.
Should you have any queries, please contact:
Ken Lucking
Corporate Services Manager
Gosport Borough Council
Town Hall
High Street
Gosport
Hampshire
PO12 1EB
Telelphone number 023 9254 5305
Email: ken.lucking@gosport.gov.uk
Website: www.gosport.gov.uk
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