The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in completing repair works and its complaint handling. Any injustice suffered is not significant enough to justify investigating.
The complaint
Mr X complains the Council failed to complete pavement repairs within its timescales. He says it sent a standard response to his complaint about the matter.
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 the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr X is concerned uneven paving may be a trip hazard and he is unhappy with the Council’s delay and poor attitude. But this is not significant enough injustice to justify our involvement.
And it is not proportionate to investigate complaint handling alone.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman