Coventry City Council (21 016 418)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 02-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to arrange household waste collections. The issues Mr X is complaining about affect all or most of the people in the local area.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council (21 006 141)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 02-Mar-2022

Summary: The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for failing to collect Mrs B’s assisted household waste and recycling. This caused Mrs B avoidable frustration and inconvenience. The Council will apologise to Mrs B, complete service improvements, and pay her £200.

London Borough of Croydon (20 007 129)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 02-Mar-2022

Summary: The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for failing to properly manage Mr X’s complaint about incorrect storage of commercial waste bins. It also delayed investigating Mr X’s reports of statutory nuisance caused by the bins. The Council will apologise to Mr X, review its complaints policy, ensure monitoring and make him a payment for the inconvenience.

Thanet District Council (21 016 889)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 02-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council charging him £25 for waste collection items to replace those not left by the former owner of his house, Mr Y. There is not enough evidence of Council fault, and the matter does not cause Mr X a significant personal injustice, to warrant us investigating. We cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants regarding the Council pursuing Mr Y for the items, or supporting him in taking Mr Y to court over the matter.

Birmingham City Council (21 007 964)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 01-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained that although she should receive assisted collections, the Council has repeatedly failed to return her bin to the side of her property when empty. The Council’s repeated failings in the assisted collection service it provided to Mrs X amount to fault. This fault has caused Mrs X an injustice.

Broxbourne Borough Council (21 015 156)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 28-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council uses boxes for the waste recycling service. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (21 016 309)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 24-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s bin collections over the last four years. Complaints about the bin service from 2018 to early 2021 are late, and there is no good reason to investigate them now. The collections reported as missed since 2021 do not cause Mrs X such significant personal injustice to warrant us investigating.

Reading Borough Council (21 003 294)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 24-Feb-2022

Summary: Mr X complains about how the Council has dealt with his refuse and recycling concerns. The Council was at fault for repeatedly failing to collect Mr X’s household waste on the scheduled collection days. The Council was also at fault for its poor communication with Mr X and its failure to follow its complaints procedure. This caused Mr X distress, inconvenience, frustration and time and trouble. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

South Somerset District Council (20 012 936)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 24-Feb-2022

Summary: Mr C complains the Council has repeatedly failed to collect his refuse, recycling and garden waste and he has spent unnecessary time, trouble and inconvenience. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed actions of an apology, payment and monitoring provide a suitable remedy.

Birmingham City Council (21 007 403)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 24-Feb-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained that although she should receive assisted collections, the Council routinely failed to collect her recycling. The Council’s repeated failure to collect Mrs X’s recycling on the scheduled day amounts to fault. This fault has caused Mrs X an injustice.