LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to take enforcement action over planning breaches relating to protection of bird habitats. We found the Council properly investigated reported planning breaches and was not at fault for not taking formal enforcement action.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council handled her homelessness and housing applications. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council said he does not qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant. There was no fault on the part of the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Miss X’s housing application. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify us investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about parking issues relating to her property. The complaint lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s refusal of his planning application. This is because Mr B has appealed to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the priority the Council awarded a housing application. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable by investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to take planning enforcement action against a structure erected by Mr X’s neighbours. This is because there is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about delay by the Council in deciding Mr Y’s planning application, or delays in the complaint-handling process. Mr Y had a right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate regarding the Council’s non‑determination of his application which it was reasonable for him to have used. We do not investigate councils’ complaint-handling processes where we are not investigating the core issue giving rise to the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s planning process and enforcement decision regarding her neighbours Mr and Mrs Y’s development. The complaints about the grant of planning permission in 2021 are late and there is no good reason to investigate them now. There is not enough evidence of Council fault affecting its final decision on the planning enforcement issue to warrant us investigating.

Summary: the Council failed to consider the impact ground floor windows would have on Mr B’s amenity and failed to consider its planning guidance when it granted planning permission for a development. An apology, payment to Mr B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s investigation into a complaint about the information it provided in response to a subject access request. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The Ombudsman will not normally investigate a complaint about the Council’s complaints process where we are unable to deal with the underlying issue.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about missed waste collections. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The injustice to the complainant is not significant enough and it is unlikely an investigation would add anything to the Council’s responses.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mr X’s representations about a penalty charge notice as it would not be in the public interest to do so.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council has failed to have proper regard to her financial difficulties, could relieve her debt by a further discretionary housing payment, and failed to properly handle a complaint and subject access request. The Council has not caused Ms X injustice this year and there is no reason to reconsider what happened in previous years.

Summary: Ms X complains about lack of planning enforcement against her neighbour by the Council. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing injustice to her.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of reports of dogs barking.