Our Standards

We aim to :

• communicate promptly, acknowledging letters and responding within 15 working days
• answer all telephone calls within 6 rings
• consider all letters of complaint in accordance with procedure and keep the complainant informed as the matter is dealt with
• pay invoices within 30 days of receipt or within the terms stated
• respond to all Natural England and Forestry Authority consultations, and all Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' consultations and notifications, within a month
• determine 65% of all planning applications within 8 weeks
• acknowledge complaints about unauthorised development within 3 working days of their receipt and, if appropriate, reply within 15 working days

When something goes wrong

Both members and officers take their responsibilities very seriously and do their utmost to help while carrying out their main duty of keeping the National Park special. However there will be times when misunderstandings occur and occasions when mistakes are made. When things do go wrong we will try and put them right.

If you think an officer has done something wrong we would ask you, in the first place, to take it up with the officer concerned. If you are not satisfied you can contact the manager and, if that does not resolve the problem, you can lodge a formal complaint.

A copy of the complaints procedure is available on request. All complaints are taken very seriously and the Authority will ensure that any issues are dealt with promptly and effectively.

If your grievance is not resolved to your satisfaction, or you believe the Authority has made a wrong decision and gone against its agreed policies there may be an opportunity to take your complaint further through the Local Government Ombudsman [external website]

If you are unhappy with a planning decision you can appeal to the Secretary of State who will arrange for an independent inspector to look into your case.

Website service standard

We aim to maintain 100% website availability.