Introduction
St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council is committed to providing a quality service for the benefit of the people who live and work in the Parish and those who visit the area.
If you are dissatisfied with the standard of service you have received from this Council or are unhappy about an action or omission by this Council, this Complaints Procedure sets out how you may complain to the Council and how your complaint will be handled.
Scope
This Complaints Procedure applies to complaints about the Council’s administration and procedures and may include complaints about how council employees have dealt with your concerns.
This Complaints Procedure does not apply to:
- complaints by one council employee against another council employee, or between a council employee and member, or a council employee and the council as employer. These matters area dealt with under other council policies.
- complaints against Councillors. The Council is unable to investigate complaints against any of its members. Parish and Town Councillors sign up to a Code of Conduct on taking office which adheres to the principles of public life. If you wish to submit a complaint about a breach of this code, you should do so to the Monitoring Officer at Cornwall Council –
The Monitoring Officer
Cornwall Council
Floor 4 North Wing
New County Hall
Treyew Road
TRURO
TR1 3AY
councillorcomplaints@cornwall.gov.uk
Further information can be accessed from the Cornwall Council website by clicking HERE
Anonymous complaints
Anonymous complaints will not normally be investigated. However, the Council may consider an anonymous complaint where it raises a serious matter involving safeguarding, illegality, misconduct, or a significant health and safety concern.
Persistent or Vexatious Complaints
If a complaint is pursued in a manner deemed unreasonable, persistent, or vexatious, the Council reserves the right to manage the correspondence under the terms of its adopted Vexatious and Unreasonably Persistent Complaints Policy.
That policy sets out the behaviours and criteria that may lead to restrictions on communication or complaint handling. Any restrictions will be proportionate, kept under review, and applied with reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
General Principles
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 contacting 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. Standing Orders normally prevent the Council from re-opening issues for six months from the date of the decision, unless exceptional grounds apply and the Council agrees to consider the matter again under its adopted Standing Orders.
Procedure
In the first instance, you should make your complaint about the council’s procedures or administration to the Clerk. You may do this in person, by telephone, or by writing to or emailing the Clerk. The contact details are set out below.
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.
If you do not wish to report your complaint to the Clerk, you may make your complaint directly to the Chairman of the Parish Council who, with another member of the Council will try to resolve your complaint or refer it to Council or the appropriate Council Committee.
If the complaint concerns the Clerk, it should be submitted to the Chairman of the HR Committee.
The Council will not tolerate any complaint submitted in a manner that is abusive, discriminatory, harassing, or defamatory. Any such conduct will be managed in accordance with the Vexatious and Unreasonably Persistent Complaints Policy.
The Clerk or the Chairman of the Parish Council (as appropriate) will investigate each complaint, obtaining further information as necessary from you and/or from staff or members of the Council.
The Clerk or the Chairman of the Parish Council will notify you within 20 working days of the outcome of your complaint and of any action 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 this is the case, you will be kept informed.
If the complaint is complex, or further information is required from you or others, the Council may suspend the timescale until the necessary information is received.
Appeal
If you remain dissatisfied with the response to your complaint, you may request an appeal in writing within 10 working days of receiving the Council’s response.
The appeal will be considered by Full Council or by a panel appointed by Full Council, none of whom shall have had prior involvement in the complaint.
A written outcome will normally be provided within eight weeks of receipt of the appeal. If this is not possible, you will be kept informed of the revised timescale.
A copy of the Vexatious and Unreasonably Persistent Complaints Policy and any appeal guidance will be supplied with the decision letter, where applicable.
Confidentiality and data protection
Complaint information will be handled confidentially and in accordance with the Council’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notice. Information may be shared only where necessary for the proper investigation and handling of the complaint.
Contacts
Linda Ranger BA (Hons), Fellow SLCC
Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council
Office 2, Brannel Room
22 Fore Street
St Stephen, St Austell
PL26 7NN
Telephone: 01726 823003
Email: clerk@ststepheninbrannel-pc.gov.uk
Cllr Julie Broad
Chairman of St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council
Telephone: 01726 823808
Email: julie.broad@ststepheninbrannel-pc.gov.uk
[1] Adopted and approved by Full Council at the meeting held on Wednesday 12th August 2026 under minute number FPC142/26. Due for review July 2029.