Complaints Procedure 
 
 
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, if you are dissatisfied with the 
response given to your request, you are entitled to make a complaint. 
 
Under SMDC’s complaints procedure for Freedom of Information Act 
requests, you must address your complaint to ‘The Chief Executive’. The 
complaint will then be looked at by the relevant officers, and responded to 
normally within 20 working days. 
 
All complaints will be treated confidentially and in line with our equalities 
policy. 
 
If you remain dissatisfied after this response then you may take your 
complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.  Please note this must be 
done within 2 months of receiving the Council’s final response. 
 
The contact address for the Information Commissioner’s Office is: 
 
FOI/EIR Complaints Resolution 
Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF 
 
 
What can I complain about? 
 
You can complain that you have been refused access to information. You can 
also complain about how the public authority has handled your request, for 
instance: 
 
•  failure to respond to your request within 20 working days (or failure to 
explain why an extension to the 20 days is needed) 
•  failure to give you proper advice and help 
•  failure to give the information in the form in which you asked for it 
•  failure to properly explain any reasons for refusing your request 
 

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