Policies and procedures

Surrey Heath Borough Council aims to provide high quality services to all of our customers. However, when service delivery falls short of this standard, we will deal with those who have a complaint, honestly and impartially, through the Council’s Complaints Procedure. Dealing with correspondence or a complaint is generally a straightforward process. The general presumption should be that a complaint is made in good faith. In a small number of cases, people pursue their complaints in a way which can either impede the investigation of their complaint or can have significant resource issues for the Council. This can happen either while their communication/complaint is being investigated, or once the Council has finished dealing with the matter.

Definition of unreasonably persistent or vexatious communication or complaints.

The definition of communication is the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using another medium.  To successfully convey information or share ideas and feelings.

Unreasonable and unreasonably persistent complaints are those complainants who because of the frequency or nature of their contacts with an authority, hinder the authority’s consideration of their or other people’s complaints.

A vexatious complaint is one that is pursued, regardless of its merits; solely or primarily to harass, annoy or subdue somebody; something that is unreasonable, without foundation, frivolous, repetitive, burdensome or unwarranted.

View the full policy below: