LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about housing register eligibility. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons for this.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has dealt with the complainant’s planning applications. This is because the complaint is late. The complainant also had the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about housing allocation because it is late without good reason to exercise discretion to investigate it now and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about how the Council handled her housing benefits arrears case and the Council’s decision to put her housing application on hold until she pays off the arrears. This is because the first part of her complaint is late, and there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigating the second part of her complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s planning enforcement action. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of her neighbour’s planning application. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council affecting its decision.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council deciding not to take planning enforcement action against an outbuilding at a property next to the complainant. There is not enough evidence that fault is likely to have affected the Council’s planning enforcement decision.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss B’s complaint that a Council refuse collector damaged part of her property. This is because it is reasonable for Miss B or the owner of her property to take the Council to court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning application near the complainant’s home, particularly with regard to the impact of the development on protected trees. There is insufficient evidence of fault causing the complainant a significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about fees for council tax arrears. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a dropped kerb application. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s action to warrant further investigation.

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council dealt with his homelessness and housing register applications. We have found fault, causing injustice, in the way the Council dealt with the homelessness application, including delay and providing inaccurate information about review rights. We have not found fault in the way the Council dealt with the housing register application. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused by apologising to Mr X and making service improvements.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax arrears and bailiff fees. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Ms F complained about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application. We found the Council at fault for causing a delay to provide interim and alternative temporary accommodation and to respond to some of her communication. We could not consider the Council’s non-priority decision as she exercised her statutory review rights. The Council will apologise to Ms F and make payment to acknowledge the distress and uncertainty its faults caused her.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about an overgrown apple tree on Council land she would like removed. This is because it does not meet the tests on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is no indication of fault in the Council’s decision that it will not be removed.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the medical points awarded to her housing register application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council provided unsuitable emergency accommodation, failed to inform her about the storage of her possessions and that offers of temporary accommodation were unsuitable due to being located outside the local area causing distress to the whole family. The Council failed to send Mrs X decision letters including when it accepted the main housing duty meaning Mrs X was not aware of her right to appeal the suitability of her temporary accommodation. This was fault as well as the Council not having a policy to provide help with the storage of belongings. A suitable rem

Summary: The Council failed to follow its allocations scheme when it suspended Ms X from bidding for properties. This was fault. I have recommended a remedy for the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council wrongly signed off building work to her property in 2008. This is because we cannot achieve any worthwhile outcome for Mrs X.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council dealt with an application to consider whether installing a telecommunication mast near the complainant’s home required prior approval. We have seen no evidence of fault in the Council’s actions.

Summary: Miss X complained a neighbouring development was not built to plan. The Ombudsman found the Council at fault for initial delays and lack of communication. This caused Miss X injustice which the Council agreed to remedy. However, the Council was not at fault for deciding not to take formal enforcement action.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainant’s planning application. This is because the complainant has appealed to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Mr Y’s housing application. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify further investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council dealt with problems the complainant reported with his temporary accommodation. This is because it is unlikely we could add to the Council’s investigation or that the outcome for the complainant would be different if we now investigated his complaint.