The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delays in responding to a service request and complaint. This is because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
The complaint
Mr X complained the Council took ten months to respond to his complaint about a request to repair a post and the surrounding grass. He said he had to chase the Council for its response, which required time and effort. Mr X wants compensation and the Council to accept accountability.
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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (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
Mr X submitted a service request to the Council in October 2024 and asked it to complete repairs on a post and surrounding grass. The Council said its initial assessment of the damage did not show a health and safety concern, and it assigned it a low priority. The Council completed the work in May 2025.
Mr X complained to the Council about its communication over the repairs. The Council reviewed its contacts with Mr X, upheld his complaint, and said his requests were not properly acknowledged. The Council said it should have clearly communicated its next steps.
In its complaint response the Council apologised and said it had managed Mr X’s requests poorly and would incorporate the lessons learned into staff training to prevent issues in the future. This is an appropriate response to the injustice caused to Mr X, further investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different outcome.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman