The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a delay in responding to a complaint about a missed recycling collection. We do not consider the complainant suffered a significant personal injustice which justifies an investigation.
The complaint
Mr X complains the Council delayed in responding to his complaint about a missed recycling collections and closed the case without contacting him.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mr X, including the Council’s responses to him.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr X complained to the Council that it missed his recycling collection refused to return and collect the missed recycling; and delayed in responding to his complaint.
In response to the complaint the Council: apologised for missing the recycling collection confirmed the recycling is a weekly collection so it is not able to return to collect missed recycling and residents should put the additional recycling our for collection the following week; and apologised for failing to respond to the original complaint I understand Mr X found the failure to formally respond to his complaint mentally draining. However, he has confirmed he has not experienced further problems with his waste collection. Therefore we do not consider that he has suffered a significant personal injustice which warrants an investigation.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we do not consider he has suffered a significant personal injustice because of a delay in responding to his complaint about a missed recycling collection.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman