MAKING A COMPLAINT

If you are not happy with the way your request for information has been handled, the fee which has been charged, or if you believe that we have incorrectly applied an exemption or exception and wrongly withheld information, then you have the right to complain.

You should in the first instance use our internal complaints procedure. An internal review can be sought through the office of the Chief Executive of the Council and a member of staff who was not involved with the original request will undertake the review. If you complain, we aim to respond to your complaint within 10 working days and if we feel that we cannot resolve your complaint within that time, we will contact you and explain the delay. Our target time for a response will then be 1 month.

The Chief's Executive's Office can be contacted at:

Ards Borough Council
2 Church Street
Newtownards
BT23 4AP

Tel: 028 9182 4000
Fax: 028 9181 9628

mary.hanna@ards-council.gov.uk

If you are still dissatisfied after the Council has undertaken its internal review, you can ask the Information Commissioner to review the Council's decision, by contacting:

Office of the Information Commissioner
Room 101
Regus House
33 Clarendon Dock
Laganside
Belfast
BT1 3BG

Please note that the Information Commissioner will expect that the Council's internal complaints procedure has been completed before any appeal is made to her office.

Additional guidance on the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations is available on the Information Commissioner's website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk