Reporting a fault
The advantage of reporting a fault online is that it is recorded and can be tracked. Click on the links below to start.
URGENT
URGENT
If your complaint is urgent and might cause an accident
Kent County Council’s emergency daytime (9am – 5pm Mon-Fri) number is 03000 418181
For emergencies outside office hours please call 03000 419191
NON-URGENT
NON-URGENT
Identify who is responsible
The first step is knowing who to complain to. Here’s a rough division of which council does what, but the list is not exhaustive. You can check the list of services on the home pages of each website by clicking on the relevant council or service below.
Do it online
This provides a record of what was said and when the complaint was made. If WPARA needs to follow-up or support you, we need to know the background. Phone conversations are more ambiguous as either side can give a different story. Online interactions and emails have dates and replies which are an invaluable record of what was said by either party.
Provide as much relevant information as possible
Put yourself in the shoes of the person reading the complaint. Always be courteous and polite. Stick to the facts. Avoid irrelevant detail and emotional statements. Remember a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Upload photos from your phone if they support your complaint.
Highlighting a potential danger such as a trip hazard for instance, can often result in a faster response.
Mobilise others if needed
The way the council system works, the more notifications on an issue, the more likely it is to be dealt with. If you feel it merits it, then ask other residents to put in a complaint about the same issue.
Be prepared to wait
Kent County Council quote an ‘approximate’ response time of 20 days. TWBC can be a lot longer in our experience. If you don’t get a response within a calendar month (roughly 22 working days), follow-up. KCC give you the option to track the fault using the fault number.
Don’t be fobbed-off
Unfortunately, some council departments are very good at deflecting. They will reply in the correct timeframe, but their response does not solve the problem. If a situation is not resolved to your satisfaction go back and follow-up. If it’s proving difficult to get a response, contact one of the WPARA committee members and we will look into it.
Tell us about it
If you have successfully resolved something yourself please do drop us an email if you think its relevant. It’s good to know what’s being done by the local authorities and it may help if a similar issue arises with another resident.
