Winchester City Council (23 016 291)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Pollution 29-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council's handling of her complaint about smoke and odour nuisance. Any complaint about the planning approval process is late and there is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s more recent investigation into her concerns of smoke and odour nuisance to warrant further investigation.

Westmorland and Furness Council (23 009 825)

Statement Not upheld Pollution 26-Feb-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s building control and environmental health investigations regarding his reports of smoke nuisance from a neighbour’s chimney. There was no fault in the Council’s environmental health or building control investigations. There was a delay in the Council’s complaints process, but the Council has already apologised for the injustice caused by the delay.

Reading Borough Council (23 005 325)

Statement Not upheld Pollution 08-Feb-2024

Summary: Mrs Y complained the Council failed to investigate her complaint about nuisance caused by smell from business premises. We have not found fault by the Council in its investigation of her complaint.

Somerset Council (23 012 404)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Pollution 11-Dec-2023

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with his reports about his neighbour’s outside light, how it did not explain why a local councillor did not reply to him about it, and how its officers responded to his complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making processes regarding the light, nor in officers not explaining the councillor’s lack of response, to warrant us investigating. The time taken before Environmental Health officers’ involvement did not cause sufficient significant personal injustice to him to justify an investigation. We do not investigate councils’ complaint-handling where we are not investigating the core issue giving rise to the complaint.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council (22 005 324)

Statement Not upheld Pollution 28-Sep-2023

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to take action concerning smoke and odours released from a commercial kitchen near his property. He said this has impacted the health of his family. The Council was not at fault.

London Borough of Havering (23 007 552)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Pollution 28-Sep-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council investigated reports of burning on property neighbouring the complainant’s home. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s action to justify an investigation.

Birmingham City Council (23 006 809)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Pollution 17-Sep-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about light pollution as there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Brentwood Borough Council (22 008 221)

Report Upheld Pollution 13-Sep-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not properly investigate or act to resolve matters when she reported various nuisances from a restaurant next to her home. She says this caused her distress and adversely affected her health and enjoyment of her home.

Hertsmere Borough Council (22 017 088)

Statement Upheld Pollution 17-Aug-2023

Summary: We have upheld a complaint from ‘Mr and Mrs C’, finding the Council should not have referred to a policy on managing ‘inappropriate complainant behaviour’ when writing to them. This action caused unnecessary distress and unfairly restricted their ability to contact the Council. The Council accepts these findings and at the end of this statement, we explain the action it has agreed to take to remedy this injustice.

Luton Borough Council (22 005 269)

Statement Not upheld Pollution 16-Aug-2023

Summary: Mr X complained about paint flakes containing lead particles falling on to his property from a nearby telecommunications mast. There was no fault by the Council.