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Formal complaint to your council (Scotland)
Scotland · in English
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For a resident in Scotland unhappy with a council service or decision — bins, potholes, planning enforcement, noise, social work, council housing or poor handling of an earlier request: a formal complaint under the council's complaints handling procedure, saying what happened, what you have done so far and what you want the council to do. Use the council's online form if it has one. An investigated complaint is normally answered within 20 working days; if you are still unhappy after the council's final reply, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman looks at complaints free of charge.
- Made for use in Scotland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are unhappy with a council service or decision in Scotland and want to make a formal complaint.
- The council keeps missing your bins or has not fixed a pothole for months.
- The council's first answer did not sort the problem out and you want it investigated.
- You want a written record of your complaint before going to the ombudsman.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Council
- Council's address, with postcode
- Council's reference (blank if none)
- Service or decision the complaint is about (e.g. missed bin collections)
- What the complaint is about
- Complaint history
- Requested outcome
- Attachments
Common questions
- Should I use my Scottish council's online complaint form instead of a letter?
- If it has one, yes, or paste this letter into it: every Scottish council publishes its complaints handling procedure and takes complaints online, by phone or in person, free. Simple complaints are dealt with at stage 1, usually within five working days. Some matters have their own route: council tax bands go to the Assessor, and parking and bus lane penalties to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland General Regulatory Chamber after the council's decision.
- When can I take a complaint about a Scottish council to the SPSO?
- Once you have had the council's final response at stage 2 of its procedure. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is free and normally expects your complaint within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002, section 10). Complain online, by phone or by post, with a copy of this letter and the council's replies. It also looks at complaints about councils as landlords.
- What happens at each stage of a Scottish council's complaints procedure?
- At stage 1, frontline resolution, staff try to sort the problem out quickly, usually within five working days. If that does not resolve it, or the complaint is complex or serious, it is investigated at stage 2, with a full written response normally within 20 working days; you can ask for stage 2 if you are unhappy with the stage 1 answer. Keep the facts in date order, with reference numbers and copies, and say clearly what outcome you want.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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