Complaints and appeals

 

Forestry Commission Scotland's approach to resolving disputes

We take all complaints seriously and will make every effort to resolve issues locally to everyone’s satisfaction.

We try to resolve disputes using our internal complaints procedure.  If you have a grant scheme contract, and we cannot solve the issue internally, the terms and conditions of the grant scheme may offer you the right to arbitration by a third party.

For disagreements between organisations and local authorities with whom we consult about grant and felling licence applications, there is a formal process whereby an independent committee (the Regional Advisory Committee) will examine the issues and provide a report to the Forestry Commissioners who will then make a final decision.

An appeal is a more formal process. It is usually governed by legislation that determines who you can appeal to, when and under what circumstances.

How to make a complaint

If you have a complaint, these are the steps to follow:

Step 1
Initially, we deal with all complaints covering Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), grant and felling licences and your first point of contact should always be to contact your local Forestry Commission Scotland Conservator to discuss issues you wish to raise.

Contact your local conservancy office.

Step 2
If, regrettably, the Conservator cannot resolve your complaint, you can write to the Country Director, setting out the issues that you wish to raise. The Forestry Commission Scotland Country Director is Dr. Bob McIntosh.

Dr. Bob McIntosh
Forestry Commission Scotland
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7AT.

Email: bob.mcintosh@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Step 3
If your complaint still remains unresolved after step 2, you may contact an appropriate non-executive Commissioner. The Commissioners are impartial individuals drawn from a variety of backgrounds to provide a balance of interests and expertise to the Commissioners' Board.

If you want your case to be presented to the Commissioners, please write to the address below, clearly setting out the reasons for your complaint and requesting that the complaint be passed to an appropriate Commissioner.

An acknowledgement will be given and then within 4 weeks, a full response. You will be notified if more time is needed to investigate your complaint fully.

The Secretary to the Commissioners
Forestry Commission
231 Corstorphine Road
Edinburgh
EH12 7AT.

How to appeal

In all cases our complaints procedure should be your first course of action if you are unhappy with a decision we have made, however, some of the legislation relevant to the work we do offers a right of appeal under certain circumstances.

The Appeals Procedure document (PDF 100k) explains the appeal process. It highlights the kinds of appeal you can make and when. For example, conditions apply to the time within which you can make an appeal, to whom and on what grounds.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman report

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman published, on 29 August 2006, a report in relation to Forestry Commission Scotland.  The report is available on their website.  Read the full Scottish Public Services Ombudsman report on Forestry Commission Scotland.