Staffordshire County Council (19 007 951)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 06-Nov-2019

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to accept liability for flooding into their property from the public highway. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. It was reasonable for Mr and Mrs X to take the claim for damage to the courts which can determine liability for negligence.

Hampshire County Council (19 007 334)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 23-Oct-2019

Summary: We will not investigate Mr and Mrs Q’s complaint about the Council’s alleged failure to properly maintain ditches near their home which has resulted in damage to their property. This is because they may go to court.

Hundred of Wisbech Internal Drainage Board (19 001 487)

Statement Not upheld Drainage 30-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs C complains the Hundred of Wisbech Internal Drainage Board failed to investigate properly and take appropriate action in response to her reports of drainage problems after it consented to works affecting a private watercourse. Mrs C says her property suffers from raised levels of groundwater and standing water from November to March and she had to take action to deal with the excess water to prevent damage to her property costing approximately £700. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault by the Drainage Board.

Durham County Council (18 019 029)

Statement Upheld Drainage 27-Sep-2019

Summary: Mr X complained the Council, as the regulatory authority, failed to provide him with advice and assistance when his property was being damaged by a nearby landowner who was pumping water into a stream at high pressure. The Council did not respond immediately to Mr X but was not required to. It did respond to Mr X’s concerns and was not at fault. It was at fault when it failed to respond to Mr X’s later correspondence and to address the queries he rose. This caused Mr X some frustration and the Council has agreed to apologise to him for this. It has also agreed to review its procedures to prevent this happening in future.

Herefordshire Council (19 007 614)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 27-Sep-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to prevent water run-off from the highway affecting his property and its septic tank sewage system. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Surrey County Council (18 014 797)

Statement Not upheld Drainage 26-Sep-2019

Summary: Mr B complains about the way the Council has handled a drainage problem on Mrs A’s land. He says the Council incorrectly installed a drainage pipe and agreed to carry out works to the driveway which it is now refusing to do. The Ombudsman finds no fault on the Council’s part.

Lancashire County Council (18 015 987)

Statement Upheld Drainage 22-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr D complains the Council has failed to help him resolve flooding on his private property. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in this matter. The Council did delay responding to Mr D’s complaint but there is no outstanding injustice to Mr D. As such, the Ombudsman has upheld the complaint (because of the delay) and completed the investigation because there is no unremedied injustice.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (19 000 800)

Statement Not upheld Drainage 05-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr D complains about the way the Council has handled drainage problems in his property and road. The Ombudsman has discontinued our investigation. This is because further investigation could not achieve any worthwhile outcome for Mr D and it would be reasonable for him to pursue a legal claim against the Council.

North Yorkshire County Council (19 003 415)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 22-Jul-2019

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about water from a road flooding Mr Q’s garden. He may go to court about the matter.

Essex County Council (19 002 215)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 20-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr B complains the Council has failed to take action to clear out blocked gullies on a road near his home which are causing water to accumulate at times of heavy rain. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because it is unlikely we can add to the investigation already carried out by the Council and an investigation is unlikely to lead to a different outcome.