LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Mr X’s concerns about wildlife.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s management of Mrs X’s requested adaptations. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to lead to finding fault with the Council’s actions.

Summary: Mr C complained about the Council’s handling of a planning approval and planning enforcement of a development next to his home. We found fault by the Council as there were some unnecessary delays in the enforcement process, but it reached decisions it was entitled to make. The Council should apologise and make a symbolic payment to acknowledge the distress and uncertainty he experienced as a result. We did not investigate Mr C’s concerns about the planning approval as this was late.

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s actions when she approached it as homeless. We find the Council at fault for failing to respond to her contact, sending a decision letter to an address it knew she no longer lived at, and failing to consider her homelessness in October 2024. As a result, Miss X missed the opportunity to seek a review of the Council’s decision and was left with uncertainty about the support she may have been entitled to. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Miss X and improve its services.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision on eligibility for a home loss payment. This is because we have no jurisdiction to consider this complaint, because the Council made its decision while it was acting as a registered social landlord.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to take enforcement action against a breach of planning control. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s actions to justify an investigation.

Using our powers to investigate matters coming to our attention during an investigation, we opened this investigation to consider whether fault by the Council in its handling of homelessness has caused injustice to others who have not complained.

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s response to his reports of planning breaches at a nearby development. Mr X says he has lived with unacceptable odour and missing landscaping to the rear of his property for longer than necessary and spent time and trouble in pursuing the matter. We have found fault through delay by the Council but consider the agreed action of a symbolic payment provides a suitable remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council’s Monitoring Officer dealt with a complaint about the conduct of councillors. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to a video footage request. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: The Council’s failure to make inquiries and decide what, if any, homelessness duty it owed Ms B in June 2022 and January 2023 was fault. The Council was also at fault for delay accepting a duty to Ms B in February 2023 and failing to tell her about her right to ask for a review of its decisions that she didn’t qualify to join the housing register. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms B, and act to improve its services.

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to protect his amenities after it approved a planning application for the estate of houses where he lives. We ended our investigation as negotiations that might improve Mr X’s situation are ongoing and so we cannot, at this stage, properly assess the injustice any fault might have caused.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council refused to assist her with her homelessness after she fled domestic abuse in another council area. The Council was not at fault. It identified and offered interim accommodation. Following enquiries, it decided Miss X was not homeless.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council failed to act after he reported hazards at a House of Multiple Occupation. That is because his complaint is late.

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to take action about disrepair in his rented property and the way the matter was handled. We have found the Council to be at fault because it failed to carry out an inspection on time and did not progress the case properly afterwards. To remedy the injustice caused by this fault, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mr X, progress the case and improve its services. We have not found fault with the Council’s assessment of the disrepair itself or his claim of discrimination.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to ensure a developer installed a privacy screen in line with the planning conditions or approved drawings. Mr X says the resultant privacy screen does not provide him with the intended privacy. The Ombudsman found fault with the Council failing to include the relevant drawings in the decision notice preventing effective enforcement. The Council agreed to the Ombudsman’s recommendation to apologise to Mr X and pay him £1,000 for the impact on his amenity.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his neighbour’s planning application in 2019. This is because the complaint is late.