Woking Borough Council (20 000 562)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 17-Aug-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to properly investigate his allegations about its Chief Executive in 2018. He also complains that it failed to deal properly with a Freedom of Information request or respond to a letter which he sent in September 2019. The Ombudsman should not exercise his discretion to investigate this complaint. This is because the complaint about the Chief Executive was received outside the normal 12-month period for receiving complaints. The Freedom of Information matter has been considered by the Information Commissioner which is the proper authority for these complaints. The Council has not had an opportunity to consider the letter which it says it did not receive from Mr X.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (20 001 975)

Statement Upheld Other 17-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a delay by the Council in issuing a £1.50 refund. This is because the Council has provided a proportionate response and there is not enough injustice to warrant an investigation.

London Borough of Redbridge (20 002 090)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 17-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about officers lying. Any fault by the Council has not caused the complainant injustice that justifies the use of public funds to investigate.

Surrey County Council (20 002 149)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 14-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to respond to a Subject Access Request. This is because the Information Commissioner’s Office is the appropriate body to consider his concerns.

Leicester City Council (20 002 324)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 12-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about an incident that occurred in a Council office in October 2018. This is because it is a late complaint.

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council (19 016 861)

Statement Upheld Other 11-Aug-2020

Summary: Mr X says poor organisation by the Council ruined his wedding day. The Council accepted fault because it did not inform Mr X trainee registrars would attend his wedding ceremony and offered him a partial refund of the wedding fee. There was fault by the Council which caused an injustice to Mr X. The Council took action to remedy that injustice.

North London Waste Authority (20 001 964)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 10-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint about problems the complainant is having in getting information from the Authority. This is because the complainant is a local councillor and is complaining about problems she has encountered in fulfilling her role as a councillor. The law says the Ombudsman cannot accept complaints from local councillors.

Kent County Council (20 000 653)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 10-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about extra fees the complainant has to pay after she postponed her wedding to 2021 due to Covid-19. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (19 017 586)

Statement Not upheld Other 04-Aug-2020

Summary: Mr D complains at the reply he received to a letter and enclosures he sent to the Council in October 2019. We do not uphold the complaint finding no fault in the Council’s reply or else using our discretion not to continue with the investigation.

Sheffield City Council (20 000 960)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 29-Jul-2020

Summary: Ms X complains about how the Council dealt with her complaint that a Council officer shared information she had asked to be kept private. Ms X has experienced delay and difficulties in obtaining responses. The Ombudsman will not investigate the Council’s handling of Ms X’s complaint as a stand-alone matter as Ms X is not caused significant injustice from this.