Leicester City Council (18 015 405)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 14-Jan-2020

Summary: There was fault in the way the Council pursued Miss X for debts regarding fixed penalty notices it served when she failed to remove her wheeled bin from the street outside her property. The Council has agreed to waive the outstanding debt. This is a suitable remedy. The Ombudsman has discontinued the investigation into the other parts of Miss X’s complaint as she has a right of appeal to tribunal against the Council’s decision to issue her with fines for leaving her wheeled bin on the pavement outside her house. Miss X also has a right to go to court if she disagrees with the Council’s arrangements for collecting her wheeled bin.

West Sussex County Council (19 012 852)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 13-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s refusal to allow him to dispose of waste at a recycling site on two occasions. We should not investigate this complaint, because we are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s actions which caused a significant injustice.

Horsham District Council (19 013 682)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 10-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr B complains about confusing information given to him by the Council in connection with the disposal of waste shredded paper. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint as 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.

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (19 014 428)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 10-Jan-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Fixed Penalty Notice he received for littering This is because the courts are better placed to consider the evidence and decide if the offence occurred.

Brighton & Hove City Council (19 014 714)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 09-Jan-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about an allegation of damage to his car by a waste collection vehicle. This is because it is reasonable for Mr X to use the legal remedy available to him.

Birmingham City Council (19 006 698)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 09-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complains that although he should receive assisted collections the Council has repeatedly failed to return his bins to his property after emptying them. The Council’s repeated failure to return Mr X’s bins to his property as part of the assisted collection service amounts to fault. This fault has caused Mr X an injustice.

Birmingham City Council (19 006 964)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 09-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has repeatedly failed to collect his recycling on the scheduled days or in a timely manner when collections are missed. He also complains the Council did not properly investigated his complaints or resolve the problem. The Council’s repeated failure to collect Mr X’s recycling amounts to fault. As does the failure to investigate his complaints and resolve the problem. This fault has caused Mr X an injustice.

Derby City Council (19 012 538)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Refuse and recycling 08-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to collect his recycling bin, and its system for reporting this was inadequate. We should not investigate this complaint. This is because we are unlikely to find fault causing a significant injustice to Mr X, and in any event the Council has provided a remedy and investigation by us is unlikely to lead to a different outcome.

Bristol City Council (19 004 573)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 08-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about repeated missed communal bin collections from his block of flats since he moved in around three years ago. The Ombudsman found fault in the Council’s repeated failure to prevent missed collections at Mr X’s block of flats. This caused him a significant injustice as he had to go to the time and trouble of making several reports and complaints. The Council agreed with our recommendation it should remedy this by apologising to Mr X, monitoring collections going forward and reflecting on how it recognises repeat missed collections.

London Borough of Croydon (18 018 067)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 07-Jan-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to collect her household waste on occasions in 2018 and her domestic waste again in late 2019. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has taken sufficient action to remedy the injustice cause by the missed collections.