Publow with Pensford Parish Council
Complaints Procedure
1. Publow with Pensford Parish Council is committed to providing a quality service for the benefit of the people who live or work in its area or are visitors to the locality. If you are dissatisfied with the standard of service you have received from this council, or are unhappy about an action or lack of action by this council, this Complaints Procedure sets out how you may complain to the council and how we shall try to resolve your complaint.
2. This Complaints Procedure applies to complaints about council administration and procedures and may include complaints about how council employees have dealt with your concerns.
3. This Complaints Procedure does not apply to:
3.1. complaints by one council employee against another council employee, or between a council employee and the council as employer. These matters are dealt with under the council’s disciplinary and grievance procedures
3.2. complaints against councillors
3.3. if a complaint against a councillor is received by the council, it will be referred to the Standards Committee of Bath & North East Somerset Council. Further information on the process of dealing with complaints against councillors may be obtained from the Monitoring Officer of Bath & North East Somerset Council.
4. The appropriate time for influencing Council decision-making is by raising your concerns before the Council debates and votes on a matter. You may do this by writing to the Council in advance of the meeting at which the item is to be discussed. There may also be the opportunity to raise your concerns in the public participation section of Council meetings. If you are unhappy with a Council decision, you may raise your concerns with the Council, but Standing Orders prevent the Council from re-opening issues for six months from the date of the decision, unless there are exceptional grounds to consider this necessary and the special process set out in the Standing Orders is followed.
5. You may make your complaint about the council’s procedures or administration to the Clerk. You may do this in person, by phone, or by writing to or emailing the Clerk. The addresses and numbers are set out below.
6. Wherever possible, the Clerk will try to resolve your complaint immediately. If this is not possible, the Clerk will normally try to acknowledge your complaint within five working days.
7. If you do not wish to report your complaint to the Clerk, you may make your complaint directly to the Chairman of the Council who will report your complaint to the Council.
8. The Clerk or the Council (as appropriate) will investigate each complaint, obtaining further information as necessary from you and/or from staff or members of the Council.
9. The Clerk or the Chairman of the Council will notify you within 20 working days of the outcome of your complaint and of what action (if any) the Council proposes to take as a result of your complaint. (In exceptional cases the twenty working days timescale may have to be extended. If it is, you will be kept informed.)
10. If you are dissatisfied with the response to your complaint, you may ask for your complaint to be referred to the full Council (as appropriate) and (usually within eight weeks) you will be notified in writing of the outcome of the review of your original complaint.
11. If your issue has still not been resolved, please contact the B&NES Ward Councillor.
12. If you wish to request an item for discussion to be considered for the agenda at the next Parish Council meeting, please put your request in writing to the Clerk in order for it to be considered. This does not guarantee that your request will be included on the agenda as it will be left to the discretion of the Clerk. All requests must be received in writing at least 10 days prior to the next Parish Council meeting.
Contacts
The Clerk of Publow with Pensford Parish Council: Helen Richardson
Address: 10 Watts Corner
Glastonbury
BA6 8FD
Telephone: 07899970173
Email: clerk@publow-with-pensford-pc.gov.uk
The Chairman of Publow with Pensford Parish Council: Cllr Sue Grimes
Address: 11 Station Approach
Pensford
BS39 4AE
Telephone: 01761 490867
Email: sue.grimes@publow-with-pensford-pc.gov.uk
The B&NES Ward Councillor: Cllr Paul May
c/o Conservative Group Office
The Guildhall
High Street
BATH
BA1 5AW
Phone: 01761 452223
Mobile: 07919047001
Email: Paul_May@bathnes.gov.uk
Adopted December 2019
Reviewed December 2020
Reviewed October 2023