SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) Upheld

The Highland Council

201304192 · Local Government › complaints handling · Decision date: 01 August 2014

Full Decision

Summary

Ms C complained to the council about the actions of council planning officers during consideration of an application she had submitted for permission in principle to build a new dwelling house on her property. She complained that an officer had invented a requirement about the distance the proposed development required to be from her neighbour's boundary, that the reasons given for refusal had not been mentioned in pre-application advice that she had received and that the reasons were not relevant to an application for 'in principle' planning permission.

She was dissatisfied with the responses she received and complained to us. Our investigation found that some of the issues she raised were not addressed. We took the view that the council had not provided full responses to her concerns, and upheld the complaint.

Recommendations

We recommended that the council: apologise to Ms C that their responses to her complaints were not as full as they could be; and provide Ms C with full responses to her concerns.

Related reading

View Decision Report 201304192 as a PDF (12.41 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018