LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council has not properly considered taking enforcement action against breaches of planning permission. The Council is not at fault.

Summary: Mr X complained about a Council parking notice. We found fault with the notice issued. The Council agreed to provide a suitable apology and waive the notice and amend the wording on future notices and associated documents and signage. The Council also agreed to complete a review of its current parking enforcement regime.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of planning enforcement matters on a site neighbouring the complainant’s home. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council has reached its decisions.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of planning enforcement matters on a site near the complainant’s home. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council has reached its decisions.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the way the Council considered a planning application. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider the late complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to make a parking permit refund. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council did not follow due process to investigate alleged planning breaches at a neighbouring residential site. He says the Council failed to take appropriate enforcement action. Mr X says the Council’s actions negatively impacted his family’s mental health and caused avoidable stress. We found fault by the Council. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and has agreed to make service improvements.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council’s poor communication led to unnecessary costs when she moved house. Any fault has not caused Mrs X an injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council refusing to include the complainant’s land in its Brownfield Land Register. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council reached its decision, and we cannot achieve the outcome the complainant is seeking.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a lack of policy and procedures for staff carrying out planning enforcement investigations and actions. This is a matter which affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area and is therefore outside our jurisdiction.

Summary: Ms X complained about how the Council handled her concerns about breaches of planning and environmental control, and anti-social behaviour by her neighbour since 2021. We found fault by the Council for causing unnecessary delays in the planning enforcement process from Summer 2024. It was not at fault for the delays prior to this, or the other matters complained about as it reached decisions it was entitled to make. The Council should apologise and make payment to Ms X to acknowledge the distress and uncertainty its delays are causing her.

Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council delayed in taking enforcement action against unauthorised work to a neighbouring property. We accept the process took a long time but we have not found fault with the actions of the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a planning application. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning application. This is because the Council refused the planning application and the issue did not therefore cause Mr X significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about matters Mr X raised with the Council during the development of a housing estate close to his home. This is because past matters fall outside our jurisdiction due to the passage of time and with regard to a more recent matter, there is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

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

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

Summary: The evidence currently suggests fault on Miss Y’s complaint about the Council failing to deal with her formal complaint properly. There were delays in responding to her initial reports and requests for information. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council is not carrying out necessary checks in relation to a section 106 planning agreement as there is insufficient injustice caused to the complainant to justify our further involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr C’s complaint about the Council’s management of public toilets. This is because the alleged fault has not caused Mr C a serious or significant injustice which would justify an investigation by the Ombudsman.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council considered a planning application. We do not consider the complainant has suffered a significant personal injustice which warrants an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council issuing him with a Community Protection Warning. This is because Mr B has not suffered a serious or significant injustice. Also, if the Council issues a Community Protection Notice, Mr B may put in an appeal to the magistrates court.

Summary: Miss C complained about the arrangements made for the burial of her mother at a Council run cemetery. We do not find fault with the location of the grave. However, there was fault by contractors on the day of the service and the Council was unclear about charges for a proposed disinterment. This has caused distress for Miss C. The Council has accepted these findings and at the end of this statement we set out action it has agreed to take to remedy the injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a technical error causing a delay in Mr X’s application for a Tree Preservation Order. There is insufficient evidence of injustice caused to Mr X by the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to ensure compliance with the terms of a Section 106 planning obligation. This is because the Council’s actions have not caused Mr X significant injustice. We cannot consider the impact of its actions on the Parish Council- a signatory to the Section 106 agreement- and the law does not allow us to investigate the Council’s use of public money to fund legal advice relating to the issue.