Your privacy
We take care to protect the privacy of individuals at all times.
If you make a complaint
If you make a complaint:
- your complaint will be treated in confidence
- you will be treated as a 'protected informant' during our investigation, which means we will not reveal your identity unless directed to do so by a court – this is to make sure you are safe from any possible recrimination by the person complained about
If formal action needs to be taken, we would have to provide evidence of the breach and any its harmful effects, so your co-operation and involvement as witnesses may be important in getting a successful outcome.
If someone makes a complaint about you
If a complaint is made against you:
- we will write to you, letting you know what the complaint is about
- we will publish the complaint details – including the property address – in our planning records online
When we have fully investigated the complaint, we will update the information online to show our decision – we may agree with the complaint or find there has been no breach of planning rules.
If we find there has been a breach of planning rules, we will also publish the decision notice online. This will include the name of the person responsible for the planning breach – usually the property owner. The decision notice forms part of our public register and will remain online permanently.