LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mr F’s complaint because the Council has responded at all three stages of the statutory children’s complaint process, and there is nothing we could add by further investigation. The Council has offered a satisfactory remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to issue her child with a Blue Badge. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council for us to be able to question its decision.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about some Penalty Charge Notices because the complainant could have appealed to the tribunal.

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms M and Mr F’s complaint about the Council’s involvement in arrangements for B to live with them in 2018 because it is too late. We will not investigate their complaint about the financial support they receive from the Council to care for B because there is not sufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council calculate her special guardianship allowance. This is because we could not add to the investigation carried out by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s alleged failure to correctly file a building completion certificate. The complainant is seeking significant financial compensation. The Ombudsman cannot determine financial liability and it is reasonable to expect the complainant to pursue the matter through the courts.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council sharing information with the police. There is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to take action against a breach of planning control. We are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s decision. And we do not consider the complainant has suffered a significant personal injustice because the of the delay in the Council’s response to their enquiries and complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about reports that the Council provided to the courts. The law prevents us from investigating anything that has been subject to court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about an unsuccessful school admission appeal. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault for us to be able to question the panel’s decision.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about an enforcement agency inappropriately clamping his car despite knowing it was under a finance agreement and for ignoring his vulnerabilities. This is because the Council has already provided an appropriate remedy for the fault accepted. In addition, there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this council tax complaint because the Council has provided a fair response.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council response to water leaks at a neighbouring property, and how it dealt with his complaints.

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his homelessness application. We found fault in how the Council dealt with the application that caused added avoidable distress and risk of harm to Mr X. The Council agreed to send Mr X a written apology and make a symbolic payment of £1,575 in recognition of the injustice caused by its fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council did not respond to his telephone calls reporting noise nuisance. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: The Council failed to record its reasons for reducing Mr X’s relative’s care provision, delayed reviewing the care plan and communicated poorly and unclearly with Mr X regarding the cost of the care. This fault caused Mr X avoidable distress, frustration and uncertainty. In recognition of this, the Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mr X £250, carry out a new financial assessment and make service improvements.

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to provide him with accommodation between August and December 2023, and delayed issuing its decision that he was not in priority need. We find fault with the Council for delay accepting the relief duty and communicating its decision about priority need. We have agreed a symbolic payment to Mr X for the frustration and distress caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax liability. It is reasonable for Mr X to use his statutory right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s planning process for a residential development in her area, and how it responded to her complaint. There is not enough significant personal injustice caused to Mrs X by the matters complained of to warrant an investigation. We do not investigate councils’ complaint-handling where we are not investigating the core matters giving rise to the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council did not progress his complaint. This is because there is no evidence of fault in how the Council made its decision. His complaint to us is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a school admissions appeal. There is no worthwhile outcome and the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider a data protection complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of the complainant’s reports of noise nuisance by a neighbour. We could not achieve a worthwhile or different outcome for the complainant.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about noise and pollution at a building site. The Council’s consideration of noise concerns is continuing, so an investigation into this point would not lead to a worthwhile outcome now. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s action on Mr X’s concerns about asbestos. And we cannot stop the development, therefore we cannot achieve the outcome Mr X is seeking.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to issue a financial penalty following a failure to comply with an improvement notice in the required timescale. Mr X had the right to appeal to a tribunal if he disagreed with the financial penalty decision and it was reasonable for him to exercise that right.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council did not notify the Valuation Office Agency of the change in Mr X’s property from commercial to domestic. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.