LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: The Council was at fault in how it offered and arranged accommodation for Mr X after he became homeless. It later housed him in unsuitable accommodation for too long. This caused Mr X uncertainty and distress. To remedy Mr X’s injustice, the Council will apologise and pay him a symbolic amount. To prevent similar fault in future, the Council will issue a staff reminder and put processes in place to ensure it can comply with guidance on housing for care leavers.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with breaches of planning control and planning applications. This is because the complainant has not suffered significant injustice.

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to house Miss X in suitable accommodation after she became homeless. It later moved Miss X but failed to properly consider if that new accommodation was suitable for her and delayed carrying out a review of one of its decisions. The Council’s faults caused Miss X distress, uncertainty and frustration. To remedy her injustice, the Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment. It will also consider what steps it should take to prevent delays in carrying out homelessness reviews in future.

Summary: The Council was at fault in how it decided Miss X’s homelessness interim and temporary accommodation was suitable for her and her family’s needs. This caused Miss X avoidable distress and uncertainty. To remedy her injustice, the Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment. It will also issue a reminder to staff to ensure they properly consider an individual’s personal circumstances and record their decision making in deciding whether accommodation is suitable.

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with her concerns about a nuisance tree in a property it owns. This is because the law prevents us from investigating complaints about councils when they are acting as a social landlord.

Summary: We have not investigated the suitability of the Council’s first homelessness temporary accommodation offer to Miss X because she should have used her right to ask the Council to review the property’s suitability. The Council was not at fault in how it decided a second property was suitable for Miss X.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council failed to properly carry out a consultation. There is not enough injustice to warrant an investigation.

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to provide suitable housing for Miss X and her family when she became homeless. This meant she stayed in unsuitable accommodation for three weeks and experienced avoidable distress. To remedy Miss X’s injustice, the Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that refuse collection drivers are using his driveway to turn and causing damage. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome and any compensation claim is a matter for the courts.

Summary: Mr Z complains on behalf of Miss X that the Council placed her in Bed and Breakfast accommodation while she was pregnant for longer than the law allows. Mr Z also said the area the Council placed Miss X was unsuitable due to the crime rate. Mr Z has also complained about the way the Council has investigated his complaint. Mr Z says Miss X has been caused distress and has been placed in accommodation which was not suitable. We have found fault in the Council’s actions for allowing Miss X to remain in Bed and Breakfast accommodation for longer than the statutory deadline. The Council ha

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about anti-social behaviour from a tenant of the Council. This is because we are unlikely to add to the investigation carried out by the Council or achieve the outcome requested.

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about the suitability of accommodation the Council offered her because she has started court action about the matter.

Summary: We have not investigated Mr Z’s complaint about the suitability of the temporary accommodation the Council arranged for Miss X when her family became homeless. That is because Miss X had a right to ask the Council to review its decision that the accommodation was suitable, and it was reasonable for her to have used that right. The Council was not at fault in how it dealt with Mr Z’s complaint about the accommodation.

Summary: Mr Z complains on behalf of Miss X that the Council placed her in Bed and Breakfast accommodation with her small children for longer than the law allows. Mr Z said the area the Council placed Miss X was unsuitable due to the crime rate. Mr Z has also complained about the way the Council has investigated his complaint. Mr Z says Miss X has been caused distress and has been placed in accommodation which was not suitable. We find no fault in the actions of the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his housing register application because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify our involvement. We will not investigate a complaint about the suitability of a property offered because Mr X has review and appeal rights and it is reasonable for him to exercise these.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council handled the complainant’s council tax. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council issuing her a Fixed Penalty Notice for fly tipping. This is because Ms X can raise a defence against the issuing of the notice in court if she believes it was wrongly issued.

Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council had acted unfairly towards her in respect of planning issues on land near her property over many years. We will not investigate the complaint because the events are too old.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council wrongly issued him a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering. This is because Mr X could have raised a defence against the issuing of the FPN in court if he considered it was incorrectly issued. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not providing video footage of the alleged offence. This is because it is a data matter best considered and decided by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s response to repairs to her garage. Part of her complaint is late and there are insufficient good reasons to consider the complaint now. Of the parts that are in time, it is unlikely we would find fault in the Council’s actions.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council not re-building his wall properly after it was damaged by the Council tenant at the adjoining property. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord.

Summary: We have ended our investigation into Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to agree to his request for a black sack collection. This is

Summary: Ms X complained the Council housed her in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation and delayed fixing her problems with bidding on the housing register. Whether the interim accommodation provided was self-contained or a bed and breakfast is a matter of law better considered by the courts and we have not investigated it here. There was no fault in the Council’s actions regarding the issues with the housing register.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a planning application. This is because the complainant has the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a missed refuse collection. This is because the matter has not caused Mr X any significant personal injustice which is serious enough to warrant an investigation.