Complaints, comments and compliments

There are several ways to make a complaint, comment or give a compliment:

• Online
• Email us at: complaints@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
• Write to us at:
  Chief Executive’s Office
  Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
  The Braid
  1-29 Bridge Street
  Ballymena
  BT43 5EJ
• Phone us on T: 0300 124 5000, select the applicable location option and ask to speak to the relevant department

Complaints Policy

For more information on how we deal with complaints, comments and compliments, please read our Complaints Policy.

Making a Complaint about the Conduct of a Councillor

The Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors (the Code) sets out principles and rules of conduct which councillors must observe.

If you have evidence that a councillor may have breached the Code of Conduct you can complain to the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards (the Commissioner).

The Commissioner is independent of government and the council and their investigations are conducted at no cost to complainants.

You can find out how to make a complaint in this leaflet which also contains information on the Code and the process that applies to complaints received by the Commissioner.

You can obtain a complaint form, further information about making a complaint, and a copy of the Code from the Commissioner’s website. 

How we manage your complaint?

Stage 1

In the first instance, the complaint will be managed as a Stage 1 frontline response.

This gives the Council an opportunity to resolve or respond to complaints quickly and effectively.

Council will respond at this stage within 5 working days of the date of registration of the complaint.

The Council will register all complaints on the day received unless it is received after normal business hours or received on a weekend or bank holiday, in which case the date of receipt is considered to be the next working day.

Stage 2

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the Stage 1 frontline response, you may wish to take the matter further, escalating to a Stage 2 investigation.

This is the final stage of Council’s complaints procedure.

Stage 2 aims to explore the complaint in more depth.

Receipt of your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days of receipt.

Council will provide a full response to your Stage 2 complaint as soon as possible but no later than 20 working days from the time the complaint was received for investigation.

Outcome

Where a complaint is upheld, you will receive an apology and explanation.

Where possible, the mistake will be corrected, and a satisfactory service will be provided as a matter of urgency.

Where a complaint is not upheld, you will receive a letter of explanation setting out Council’s reasons for not upholding your complaint.

Taking it further

If you remain dissatisfied with our final response you can contact the Northern Ireland Ombudsman who is responsible for investigating complaints against government departments, agencies and public bodies.

You can call the Northern Ireland Ombudsman on Freephone: 0800 343 424, or write to:

FREEPOST NIPSO
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN

E: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Visit the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman website

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•    Ballymena
•    Carrickfergus
•    Larne
•    Other

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