The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled a bulky waste collection. The claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.
The complaint
Ms X complained about the Council’s bulky waste collection service and how it handled her complaint about the matter.
Ms X said this caused her significant stress.
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.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X paid for a bulky waste collection for a property which she lets out to tenants. Ms X said the collection did not take place and it took her multiple attempts to contact the Council before it acted. Ms X said the waste was outside the property for almost two months.
The Council said its system did not register the collection because it was linked to Ms X’s residential address, which is outside its boundaries. The Council went on to collect the items listed on the original collection request.
Ms X said during the delay, further waste had accumulated outside the property, and the Council should have also taken this. Ms X said she had to pay to have this removed.
Based on the information available, it appears the Council have removed the items originally listed on the collection request and an apology provided for the delay. Therefore, I consider this injustice to have been appropriately remedied.
While I acknowledge Ms X’s remaining injustice of distress and upset, this is not significant enough to warrant an Ombudsman investigation.
Finally, because we will not investigate the substantive matters of the complaint, we will not investigate the Council’s handling of the complaint because it is not proportionate to do so.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman