Plymouth City Council (19 000 659)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 22-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s charge for pest control. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Bristol City Council (18 019 976)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-May-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council removing his boat and trailer from the public highway and charging him to release it from storage. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Sevenoaks District Council (18 019 000)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 14-May-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains that the Council did not take action after her dog was attacked by another dog. She says it failed to respond to her requests for contact over a prolonged period. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council was not responsible for the initial incident and there was no significant action it could have taken following it. Therefore it has not caused Mrs X a significant injustice.

Environment Agency (18 011 626)

Statement Not upheld Other 13-May-2019

Summary: Mr X says the Environment Agency is at fault for not acting to address flooding caused by an unauthorised dam located in a primary watercourse. The Ombudsman has not found any evidence of fault by the Environment Agency and for this reason he has ended his investigation of this complaint.

London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority (18 019 901)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 13-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the way the Authority responded after the complainant reported fire safety concerns. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Authority and because there is no meaningful outcome he could achieve.

Bristol City Council (18 019 583)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 13-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and because some parts of the complaint have been considered in court. The Ombudsman cannot investigate any matter that forms part of legal proceedings and cannot investigate the court service.

Hertfordshire County Council (18 019 807)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 13-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council not giving proper notice before cutting back the complainant’s hedge. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

Cheshire West & Chester Council (18 012 059)

Statement Not upheld Other 10-May-2019

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain that in requiring and then approving changes to the layout of the access road to a hotel opposite their house, the Council did not consider the impact headlight glare would have. The Ombudsman found no fault in the Council’s approach to deciding this planning application.

Bedford Borough Council (18 019 809)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 10-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms B’s complaint about a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) she received for littering. Ms B has now paid the FPN and is therefore considered to have accepted it. It is reasonable to expect Ms B to have refused to pay the fine and argue her case in court if she wanted to challenge it. The courts were better placed to decide if the FPN was properly issued.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (18 019 007)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 10-May-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint that she was inappropriately touched by a Council officer as this is a matter for the police.