The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about parking provision because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
The complaint
Ms Y complained the Council has increased the price of parking permits from £40 to £80 per year, per car over the course of 10 years which she finds unacceptable.
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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B)) We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word fault to refer to these. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information Ms Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
The Council has the power to increase the cost of parking permits in its area. In its complaint response the Council has explained how it made the decision through its committee in November 2022, prior to an increase the following July following a review of the cost.
As the Council has reviewed its policy on the cost, considered this through its committee process correctly, we cannot say there has been fault with the way the decision was made. While Ms Y may feel strongly about the decision made, e cannot question whether a council’s decision is right or wrong simply because the complainant disagrees with it. As there was no fault with he decision making process, there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating this complaint.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms Y’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman