Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers
The Highways Agency Complaints Procedure
Download our complaints procedure leaflet:
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Introduction
The Highways Agency Complaints Procedure
The Highways Agency is responsible for the maintenance, operation and improvement of the motorway and trunk road network in England.
We aim to provide the best customer service, but there may be a time when you need to complain. We want to hear about these experiences as we are keen to learn from them so that we can improve the service we deliver.
These web pages explain our complaints procedure for your guidance, or you can download our leaflet. If you are not sure where to start, information about how to get in touch with our Information Line staff is available on the Contacts page.
A map of the roads for which the Agency is responsible is available in this section under "Network Map". If you have enquiries about roads that are the responsibility of Transport for London, County Councils, Metropolitan authorities or Unitary authorities, please call our Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 (local rate call) and we will provide you with a contact number.
We aim to respond to all communications (letters, e-mails, faxes, telephone calls) within 15 working days of receiving them. This includes a complaint that has been formally recorded by one of our Traffic Officers. If we are going to take longer, we will let you know why and when we aim to reply.
How to Make a Complaint
The Highways Agency Complaints Procedure
Stage 1 - Resolve Locally
We aim to investigate and resolve your concern at the most appropriate level
The Highways Agency Complaints Procedure
Stage 1 - Resolve Locally
We aim to investigate and resolve your concern at the most appropriate level which is usually locally. This could be where you live, where a particular road goes, where a scheme is proposed or some other concern you have. This is why we have a network of offices across England.
If we are at fault we will:
- Apologise and provide a full explanation of what went wrong,
- Tell you what we can do to put things right,
- Do our best to learn lessons to improve our service and prevent a recurrence.
Stage 2 - Chief Executive
If you are not satisfied with the local service and response you receive, you can write to our Chief Executive:
Chief Executive
Highways Agency
5th Floor
123 Buckingham Palace Road
London
SW1W 9HA
Our Chief Executive will make sure your complaint is reviewed and that you are sent a reply.
Stage 3 - Independent Assessment
If you think that your complaint has not been handled properly, you can ask our Chief Executive to refer it to an independent assessor.
The assessor can look at complaints about the way we have handled your correspondence but not those about employment, or appeals or complaints about the policies, laws and regulations within which we operate.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
There may be times when you've tried resolving the complaint with us and you still think you received a poor service. If so you may want to take advice from a Member of Parliament (it need not be your local MP) about referring your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Details of their service can be obtained from their website at:
their helpline during office hours on:
0345 015 4033
or, by writing to their offices at:
Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman,
Millbank Tower,
Millbank,
London
SW1P 4QP
Contacts
The Highways Agency Complaints Procedure
At the Highways Agency we take your complaints seriously. We record and monitor complaints and carry out regular reviews of our customer services. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service please contact us.
If you're not sure where to start phone our Information Line staff on:
08457 50 40 30 (Calls from landlines to 08457 numbers can cost up to 8p per minute but are free from some landline providers; mobiles usually cost more. Please check costs with your service provider. )
The line is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, or you can send an email to:
You can also find out more information about many aspects of our work from this website.
If you prefer to send a letter our Information Line staff can give you the best address to write to and they can also help you with contact details of those responsible for other roads.
We aim to respond to all communications (letters, emails, faxes, telephone calls) within 15 working days of receiving them. This includes a complaint that has been formally recorded by one of our Traffic Officers. If we are going to take longer, we will let you know why and when we aim to reply.
Further copies of our complaints leaflet are available from:
Highways Agency Publications
Telephone: 0870 1226 236
Email: highwaysagency@twoten.com