Best and Worst Rated Councils in the UK | SEO Backlinks
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Data study

UK's worst-rated councils named as three in four Google reviews give one star

Three in four Google reviews of UK councils (76%) give a single star, and no council in the country averages four stars, a study of 24,843 reviews has found. Tower Hamlets Council in east London has the lowest rating, at 1.11 stars out of five.

Data collected

Source: SEO Backlinks, https://seobacklinks.com/research/best-and-worst-rated-councils-uk/

Key findings

Second lowest, on 1.17, is West Oxfordshire District Council, which refused Jeremy Clarkson's plan for a restaurant on his farm. It received 80 one-star reviews in the seven weeks after the series of Clarkson's Farm showing that decision was released on 10 February 2023.

Seven of the 10 lowest-rated councils are London boroughs. The average council scores 1.88 stars out of five. Of the 108, 78 score below two stars and only four score three or more.

The most common complaint is not about a decision a council made. At eight of the 10 lowest-rated councils, more of the recent reviews that gave a reason were about not being able to get through, by phone or by email, than about anything else.

That was the subject of 160 of the 401 written reviews we read for those eight councils, or two in five. At the other two, West Oxfordshire and Wigan, the most common subject is a planning row.

Councils rarely answer. Of the 600 most recent reviews of the 10 lowest-rated councils, one had a reply from the council.

Chart

Worst and best 10 at a glance

The 10 lowest-rated councils in the UK0123451. Tower Hamlets Council, London: 1.11 (101 reviews)1Tower Hamlets CouncilLondon1.112. West Oxfordshire District Council: 1.17 (203 reviews)2West Oxfordshire District Council1.173. Newham Council, London: 1.25 (362 reviews)3Newham CouncilLondon1.254. Harrow Council, London: 1.26 (871 reviews)4Harrow CouncilLondon1.265. Bromley Council, London: 1.30 (239 reviews)5Bromley CouncilLondon1.306. London Borough of Bexley: 1.32 (113 reviews)6London Borough of Bexley1.327. Ealing Council, London: 1.36 (1,322 reviews)7Ealing CouncilLondon1.368. Haringey Council, London: 1.37 (641 reviews)8Haringey CouncilLondon1.379. Bury Council, Greater Manchester: 1.37 (193 reviews)9Bury CouncilGreater Manchester1.3710. Wigan Council, Greater Manchester: 1.39 (271 reviews)10Wigan CouncilGreater Manchester1.39The 10 highest-rated councils in the UK0123451. Manchester City Council: 3.67 (642 reviews)1Manchester City Council3.672. Hastings Borough Council: 3.56 (114 reviews)2Hastings Borough Council3.563. Rochdale Borough Council: 3.44 (243 reviews)3Rochdale Borough Council3.444. Gravesham Borough Council, Kent: 3.21 (143 reviews)4Gravesham Borough CouncilKent3.215. Birmingham City Council: 2.95 (247 reviews)5Birmingham City Council2.956. Nottingham City Council: 2.90 (208 reviews)6Nottingham City Council2.907. Westminster City Council: 2.70 (145 reviews)7Westminster City Council2.708. Portsmouth City Council: 2.61 (126 reviews)8Portsmouth City Council2.619. Gateshead Council: 2.58 (148 reviews)9Gateshead Council2.5810. Coventry City Council: 2.57 (134 reviews)10Coventry City Council2.57Average Google star rating (out of 5)The 10 lowest-rated councils in the UK0123451. Tower Hamlets Council, London: 1.11 (101 reviews)1Tower Hamlets CouncilLondon1.112. West Oxfordshire District Council: 1.17 (203 reviews)2West Oxfordshire District Council1.173. Newham Council, London: 1.25 (362 reviews)3Newham CouncilLondon1.254. Harrow Council, London: 1.26 (871 reviews)4Harrow CouncilLondon1.265. Bromley Council, London: 1.30 (239 reviews)5Bromley CouncilLondon1.306. London Borough of Bexley: 1.32 (113 reviews)6London Borough of Bexley1.327. Ealing Council, London: 1.36 (1,322 reviews)7Ealing CouncilLondon1.368. Haringey Council, London: 1.37 (641 reviews)8Haringey CouncilLondon1.379. Bury Council, Greater Manchester: 1.37 (193 reviews)9Bury CouncilGreater Manchester1.3710. Wigan Council, Greater Manchester: 1.39 (271 reviews)10Wigan CouncilGreater Manchester1.39The 10 highest-rated councils in the UK0123451. Manchester City Council: 3.67 (642 reviews)1Manchester City Council3.672. Hastings Borough Council: 3.56 (114 reviews)2Hastings Borough Council3.563. Rochdale Borough Council: 3.44 (243 reviews)3Rochdale Borough Council3.444. Gravesham Borough Council, Kent: 3.21 (143 reviews)4Gravesham Borough CouncilKent3.215. Birmingham City Council: 2.95 (247 reviews)5Birmingham City Council2.956. Nottingham City Council: 2.90 (208 reviews)6Nottingham City Council2.907. Westminster City Council: 2.70 (145 reviews)7Westminster City Council2.708. Portsmouth City Council: 2.61 (126 reviews)8Portsmouth City Council2.619. Gateshead Council: 2.58 (148 reviews)9Gateshead Council2.5810. Coventry City Council: 2.57 (134 reviews)10Coventry City Council2.57Average Google star rating (out of 5)
Source: SEO Backlinks, https://seobacklinks.com/research/best-and-worst-rated-councils-uk/

Use this chart. It is free to use with a link to this page. Download the chart as a PNG.

Method

How we did it

We checked the main Google Maps listing of each of the UK's 382 councils on 8 October 2026, meaning the listing for the council's headquarters or main customer service centre. Listings for a single department such as bins, parking or registrars were left out, as were depots and listings for a town hall or guildhall as a venue.

A council needed at least 100 reviews on its main listing to be ranked. That gave 108 councils and 24,843 reviews in all.

Each council is ranked on its exact average star rating, worked out from its count of one, two, three, four and five-star reviews rather than the rounded score Google displays, so councils showing the same rounded rating on Google can still be put in order.

For the 10 lowest-rated councils, we also read the 60 most recent reviews of each as they stood on 8 October 2026, 600 reviews in all, to see what people were complaining about.

National rankings

The lowest and highest rated 10 in the UK

The 10 lowest-rated councils in the UK

RankCouncilAverageReviews
1Tower Hamlets CouncilLondon101 reviews1.11101
2West Oxfordshire District Council203 reviews1.17203
3Newham CouncilLondon362 reviews1.25362
4Harrow CouncilLondon871 reviews1.26871
5Bromley CouncilLondon239 reviews1.30239
6London Borough of Bexley113 reviews1.32113
7Ealing CouncilLondon1,322 reviews1.361,322
8Haringey CouncilLondon641 reviews1.37641
9Bury CouncilGreater Manchester193 reviews1.37193
10Wigan CouncilGreater Manchester271 reviews1.39271

The 10 highest-rated councils in the UK

RankCouncilAverageReviews
1Manchester City Council642 reviews3.67642
2Hastings Borough Council114 reviews3.56114
3Rochdale Borough Council243 reviews3.44243
4Gravesham Borough CouncilKent143 reviews3.21143
5Birmingham City Council247 reviews2.95247
6Nottingham City Council208 reviews2.90208
7Westminster City Council145 reviews2.70145
8Portsmouth City Council126 reviews2.61126
9Gateshead Council148 reviews2.58148
10Coventry City Council134 reviews2.57134

Averages are rounded to two decimal places. Where two councils show the same figure, the order comes from the unrounded average.

Council ranking

All 108 councils, highest to lowest rated

Every council in the ranking with its exact Google average, rounded to two decimal places, and the number of reviews on its main listing. Rank 1 is the highest rated and rank 108 the lowest rated.

RankCouncilReviewsAverage
1Manchester City Council642 reviews6423.67
2Hastings Borough Council114 reviews1143.56
3Rochdale Borough Council243 reviews2433.44
4Gravesham Borough Council143 reviews1433.21
5Birmingham City Council247 reviews2472.95
6Nottingham City Council208 reviews2082.90
7Westminster City Council145 reviews1452.70
8Portsmouth City Council126 reviews1262.61
9Gateshead Council148 reviews1482.58
10Coventry City Council134 reviews1342.57
11Royal Borough of Greenwich136 reviews1362.56
12Wandsworth Council379 reviews3792.50
13Hackney Council342 reviews3422.43
14Doncaster Council195 reviews1952.37
15Bristol City Council184 reviews1842.36
16North Northamptonshire Council119 reviews1192.35
17Southend-on-Sea City Council127 reviews1272.31
18Milton Keynes City Council112 reviews1122.22
19London Borough of Hounslow375 reviews3752.17
20London Borough of Richmond upon Thames105 reviews1052.12
21St Albans City & District Council133 reviews1332.10
22Dacorum Borough Council133 reviews1332.09
23Shropshire Council106 reviews1062.08
24Wokingham Borough Council112 reviews1122.07
25Redbridge London Borough Council301 reviews3012.07
26Peterborough City Council117 reviews1172.07
27Wiltshire Council174 reviews1742.05
28London Borough of Hillingdon148 reviews1482.01
29Leicester City Council166 reviews1662.01
30City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council112 reviews1122.00
31West Northamptonshire Council230 reviews2301.97
32Broxbourne Borough Council140 reviews1401.96
33North Tyneside Council156 reviews1561.94
34Pembrokeshire County Council116 reviews1161.93
35Mansfield District Council101 reviews1011.93
36South Gloucestershire Council116 reviews1161.92
37City of York Council162 reviews1621.90
38Leeds City Council153 reviews1531.90
39Northumberland County Council172 reviews1721.89
40Oxford City Council113 reviews1131.88
41City of Wolverhampton Council357 reviews3571.88
42Salford City Council174 reviews1741.88
43Preston City Council168 reviews1681.87
44Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council189 reviews1891.86
45Sheffield City Council222 reviews2221.84
46Brent Council662 reviews6621.84
47Vale of Glamorgan Council143 reviews1431.83
48Newcastle City Council182 reviews1821.82
49Derby City Council280 reviews2801.80
50Sutton Council151 reviews1511.79
51Basildon Borough Council164 reviews1641.79
52Bridgend County Borough Council121 reviews1211.79
53St Helens Borough Council149 reviews1491.78
54Bedford Borough Council102 reviews1021.77
55Reading Borough Council425 reviews4251.77
56Havant Borough Council124 reviews1241.77
57Stroud District Council101 reviews1011.76
58North Herts Council100 reviews1001.76
59Thanet District Council183 reviews1831.76
60Rugby Borough Council127 reviews1271.75
61Herefordshire Council114 reviews1141.75
62Newport City Council109 reviews1091.74
63Hammersmith and Fulham Council291 reviews2911.73
64Lewisham Council137 reviews1371.72
65Sandwell Council350 reviews3501.72
66Canterbury City Council108 reviews1081.68
67Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council205 reviews2051.67
68Lambeth Council275 reviews2751.67
69Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council163 reviews1631.66
70Gloucester City Council103 reviews1031.66
71Norwich City Council334 reviews3341.66
72Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council155 reviews1551.65
73Eastbourne Borough Council134 reviews1341.64
74Glasgow City Council122 reviews1221.64
75North Somerset Council125 reviews1251.63
76Eastleigh Borough Council105 reviews1051.63
77Southampton City Council332 reviews3321.63
78Medway Council240 reviews2401.62
79Kingston Council311 reviews3111.61
80Islington Council460 reviews4601.60
81Luton Council256 reviews2561.59
82Waltham Forest Council564 reviews5641.59
83Camden Council249 reviews2491.59
84Pendle Borough Council125 reviews1251.57
85Thurrock Council152 reviews1521.55
86Brighton & Hove City Council137 reviews1371.53
87Croydon Council496 reviews4961.52
88Southwark Council401 reviews4011.52
89Guildford Borough Council134 reviews1341.51
90Barnet Council458 reviews4581.50
91Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council116 reviews1161.50
92Stoke-on-Trent City Council132 reviews1321.48
93Merton Council334 reviews3341.47
94Swindon Borough Council258 reviews2581.45
95Slough Borough Council345 reviews3451.43
96Enfield Council665 reviews6651.43
97Liverpool City Council107 reviews1071.41
98Maidstone Borough Council116 reviews1161.41
99Wigan Council271 reviews2711.39
100Bury Council193 reviews1931.37
101Haringey Council641 reviews6411.37
102Ealing Council1,322 reviews1,3221.36
103London Borough of Bexley113 reviews1131.32
104Bromley Council239 reviews2391.30
105Harrow Council871 reviews8711.26
106Newham Council362 reviews3621.25
107West Oxfordshire District Council203 reviews2031.17
108Tower Hamlets Council101 reviews1011.11

Using this research

Citing these figures

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How to cite

SEO Backlinks, "The best and worst rated councils in the UK", data collected October 8, 2026: https://seobacklinks.com/research/best-and-worst-rated-councils-uk/

This study comes from SEO Backlinks, which runs data-led digital PR campaigns built on public data like Google reviews.

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