You can challenge your local council if you disagree with a decision it has made.

• You can make a complaint using the local council complaints procedure. If you request information on the procedure you should be given a leaflet that tells you how to go about it. Most complaints procedures follow the same process, which involves an informal stage, a written stage, and an independent review. There are set time periods for the different stages. If you are still not happy, you can take your case to the ombudsman.
• You can make a formal complaint to your local council’s Monitoring Officer as an alternative (or in addition) to using the local council’s complaints procedure. This may get a quicker result.
• You can take your case to court by applying for a judicial review. This is a request to the High Court to consider whether a decision of the local council is fair and reasonable. However, this can be very expensive if you do not get legal aid.
• You can ask your local councillor or MP to take up your case.
• You can get advice and support from an independent advocacy service.

For more information on making a complaint see our information sheet no. 27, How to Make a Complaint.