Public · free template

Environmental Complaint

Two-page environmental complaint: what the problem is and where, how long it has been happening, the effect on people nearby and any evidence held.

A ready-to-use government & public sector form for councils, agencies and public bodies: 20 questions, 2 pages, 4 conditional rules.

Questions
20
Pages
2
Layouts
classic · card
Time to complete
6 min
Conditional rules
4
Preview it in the gallery

Searches this template answers

Also filed under

Live preview and test console

This is the real form. Answer it to test the 2 conditional rules — nothing is sent or stored.

Page 1 of 2The problem

What is happening

Attach a file — the size limit is shown below.

Any file type up to 50 MB (larger files are rejected) · uploads are saved on the live form

1 question is hidden by conditional logic right now — change an answer above to reveal it.

Compliance checklist

Ready to publish
  • Payment items priced — passingEvery payment question charges a real amount, so a submission always records a payment.
  • Conditional logic resolves — passingEvery rule points at a question or page that exists in this template.
  • Legal text not required — passingThis template collects neither health nor regulated financial information.
  • Question labels unique — passingLogic and exports address questions by label, so duplicates are ambiguous.

What happens after submit: nothing is stored in this preview. On your own copy, every response triggers an instant email notification and lands in your response dashboard, ready to export or forward.

Happy with it? Take a copy into your workspace — every question, rule and setting comes with it.

Who this template is for

Environmental Complaint is built for councils, agencies and public bodies who need to run a public request or application to a consistent standard.

  • Councils, agencies and public bodies working in government & public sector.
  • Teams who need to run a public request or application to a consistent standard without writing code or paying for a custom build.
  • Anyone replacing paper forms that are slow to process and hard to audit with one structured record per enquiry.
  • Respondents are residents and applicants — the form asks them 20 questions across 2 screens.
  • Mobile-heavy audiences, thanks to the one-question-per-screen card layout.

Why this form is useful

It removes the cost of paper forms that are slow to process and hard to audit and turns each submission into a record your team can act on immediately.

  • 11 questions are required, so submissions arrive complete instead of needing a follow-up email.
  • It collects a verified email address so replies and confirmations land.
  • It captures a phone number for urgent follow-up.
  • It accepts a document or photo upload as evidence.
  • It pins the request to a specific date.
  • It captures a numeric value you can filter and sort on.
  • Conditional logic hides 4 questions until they are relevant — shorter forms convert better than long ones.
  • Splitting the form across 2 pages keeps each screen short and shows respondents how much is left.

How to use this template

From copy to live form is a few minutes of work, and every step is reversible.

  1. 1Press “Use this template” — a fresh copy of Environmental Complaint lands in your workspace, ready to edit.
  2. 2Rename or delete any question, and change what is required. Nothing here is fixed.
  3. 3Open Notifications and add the email addresses that should be alerted on each submission; add an auto-reply to the respondent if the form collects an email address.
  4. 4Check the upload limits on the file question so respondents can attach what you actually need.
  5. 5Publish it, then either share the link directly or paste the embed snippet into your site — the embedded form resizes to fit and loads no marketing or advertising trackers.
  6. 6Watch responses land in Submissions, where you can filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF.

Logic and conditions blueprint

Exactly how this form behaves as it is answered — 4 conditional rules ship with it.

  • Features conditional validation: if “How often is it happening?” is It comes and goes, “What times of day is it worst?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent.
  • Features conditional validation: if “Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?” is Yes, “What did you say, and what happened?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “May we contact you about this report?” is No, keep me anonymous, the form dynamically exposes “We may not be able to investigate an anonymous report — anything else that would help?”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “What kind of problem is it?” is Fly tipping or dumped waste, the form dynamically exposes “Is the waste blocking a road or path?”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • All 4 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other.

About this template

Environmental complaints are investigated on pattern and evidence, and a form that asks only what is wrong loses both. This two-page version starts with the problem: what kind it is, exactly where it is happening, whose land or premises seems to be involved if the resident knows, and what they have seen or smelled described in their own words. The second page is about the pattern, which is what makes a case: when it started, what times of day it happens, whether it is constant or intermittent, and how many days in the last week. It asks who is affected and how, whether anyone's health or an animal is involved, and whether the resident has already contacted the business or neighbour concerned. Photographs, video and a running log can be uploaded. Contact details are requested, with a question about whether the resident is willing to be contacted, because anonymous reports limit what an officer can do. Powers, thresholds and timescales differ by authority.

What this form asks

Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.

Page 1 — The problem

  • What kind of problem is it?required
  • Where exactly is it happening?required
  • Whose land or premises is involved, if you know?
  • Describe what you have seen, smelled or heardrequired
  • Is the waste blocking a road or path?
  • Upload photos or video

Page 2 — How often, and who it affects

  • When did it start?required
  • How often is it happening?required
  • What times of day is it worst?
  • How many days in the last week?
  • Who is affected?required
  • How is it affecting you or others?
  • Is anyone's health or an animal involved?required
  • Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?required
  • What did you say, and what happened?
  • Your namerequired
  • Contact number
  • Email addressrequired
  • May we contact you about this report?required
  • We may not be able to investigate an anonymous report — anything else that would help?

20 questions in total.

Example of a completed environmental complaint form

This sample shows how a resident reports an ongoing smell nuisance.

What kind of problem is it?
Smell
Where exactly is it happening?
Behind the units on Foundry Lane
Describe what you have seen, smelled or heard
A strong burning smell drifts over the fence most evenings.
When did it start?
Early April 2026
How often is it happening?
Most weekday evenings
Who is affected?
Me and neighbouring households
Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?
No
Your name
Sandra Ellery
May we contact you about this report?
Yes

Sample data — no real people, addresses or records are shown.

How the form changes as it's filled in

This template ships with 4 conditional rules, grouped into 4 behaviours driven by 4 questions. Everything below is already set up — edit or delete any rule once the template is in your workspace.

Driven by “How often is it happening?

  • Makes answers required

    If “How often is it happening?” is It comes and goes, “What times of day is it worst?” becomes required before the form can be submitted.

Driven by “Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?

  • Makes answers required

    If “Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?” is Yes, “What did you say, and what happened?” becomes required before the form can be submitted.

Driven by “May we contact you about this report?

  • Reveals questions

    If “May we contact you about this report?” is No, keep me anonymous, the form reveals “We may not be able to investigate an anonymous report — anything else that would help?”.

Driven by “What kind of problem is it?

  • Reveals questions

    If “What kind of problem is it?” is Fly tipping or dumped waste, the form reveals “Is the waste blocking a road or path?”.

Set it up step by step

  1. 1

    Ask for pattern, not just problem

    Times of day and days per week are what an officer needs to plan a visit that actually witnesses the issue.

  2. 2

    Be honest about anonymity

    Say plainly that an anonymous report limits what can be done, and let residents choose with that in front of them.

  3. 3

    Invite a log, not just a photo

    A dated list of occurrences beats a single photograph, and residents will keep one if you ask on day one.

  4. 4

    Route by problem type

    Waste, air quality and pests usually sit with different teams; splitting on the first answer prevents a manual triage step.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Asking what the problem is without asking when it happens, so nobody can arrange a visit that sees it.
  • Promising a specific response time in the form when timescales depend on the type of case.
  • Requiring contact details, which loses the reports people will only make anonymously.

What it pairs with

Most teams don't run this form on its own. These are the forms and systems it sits next to.

What to do with the responses

Route each report to the responsible team, tell the resident what happens next and roughly when, and ask for a dated log where the problem is intermittent.

Works in both layouts

These pages cover the same subject ground as the environmental complaint, matched on the words people actually search for.

Privacy & compliance

This form collects health information. Keep access limited to the people who need it, turn on encrypted answers for the clinical questions, and set a retention window so records don't sit in the dashboard forever.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the noise complaint form?

The Noise Complaint Form is a single screen for noise only, with times and frequency. This one covers waste, smells, smoke, dust and pests, and asks about land and premises.

Can a report be made anonymously?

Yes, and the form says plainly that it may limit what an officer can do, because witness evidence often comes from the person reporting.

Will the council always investigate?

That depends on local powers and thresholds, so the form avoids promising an outcome and sets out what happens next instead.

What evidence helps most?

Dates and times, plus photographs where the problem is visible. A dated log kept over a week or two is usually the most useful thing a resident can provide.

Is the Environmental Complaint template free to use?

Yes. You can preview and test Environmental Complaint on this page without an account, and take a copy into your own HelloForms workspace on the free plan. There is nothing to install and no card required to publish it.

What does the Environmental Complaint template ask for?

It asks 20 questions across 2 pages, 11 of which are required. Every question is listed in full further down this page, and each one can be renamed, reordered, made optional or deleted after you copy the template.

Can I edit the Environmental Complaint form after copying it?

Yes — the copy is entirely yours. Change wording, add or remove questions, switch between the classic and card layouts, restyle it to match your brand, and set who gets notified on each submission.

How does the conditional logic in this government & public sector form work?

4 conditional rules ship with the template: Features conditional validation: if “How often is it happening?” is It comes and goes, “What times of day is it worst?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent. Features conditional validation: if “Have you contacted the business or neighbour about it?” is Yes, “What did you say, and what happened?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent. Features advanced show logic: if “May we contact you about this report?” is No, keep me anonymous, the form dynamically exposes “We may not be able to investigate an anonymous report — anything else that would help?”. Otherwise that question never appears. All rules are editable in the Logic tab.

Where do responses to the Environmental Complaint form go?

Submissions land in your workspace under Submissions, where you can search, filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF. You can also email a notification to your team on every submission and send the respondent an auto-reply.

Can I embed the Environmental Complaint form on my own website?

Yes. Publish the form and paste the embed snippet into any page or share the direct link. The embedded form resizes to fit its container and loads no advertising or marketing trackers inside the iframe.

Can respondents upload files?

Yes. This template includes a file upload question, so respondents can attach documents or photos with their answers. You can adjust the accepted file types and size limits on that question.

More forms teams pair with the environmental complaint.

Related categories