Devon County Council (20 003 615)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 28-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about damage to his car from a pothole. This is because it is reasonable for him to seek compensation through the courts.

Devon County Council (20 003 292)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 23-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council will not repair a damaged pipe which runs under his land but for which the Council has responsibility. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because it falls outside our jurisdiction as Mr X has an alternative remedy to challenge the Council’s refusal to repair through the courts.

Wokingham Borough Council (19 018 349)

Statement Not upheld Other 15-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to decline his dropped kerb application. The Council declined the application as the proposed dropped kerb was within 10 metres of an existing junction and considered unsafe. Mr X says the Council did not have any policy which stated this. The Ombudsman does not find fault with the Council’s decision.

Oxfordshire County Council (19 015 128)

Statement Not upheld Other 11-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council’s Highways Authority officers acted when asked to advise a local planning authority about his planning application. Mr X said he suffered financial loss because of lost business. There was no fault in the way the Council acted.

Central Bedfordshire Council (19 019 653)

Statement Upheld Other 11-Sep-2020

Summary: The Council made some administrative errors, which led to delays in the construction of a vehicle crossover. The Council has refunded the complainant’s inspection fee in recognition of this, but upon recommendation by the Ombudsman considers, it has agreed to offer a small additional amount to remedy the injustice here.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (19 012 150)

Statement Not upheld Other 10-Sep-2020

Summary: In refusing Mrs B’s application for a dropped kerb, the Council properly applied its policy and explained its decision-making. Because of this, we cannot question the decision itself.

Hertfordshire County Council (20 002 383)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 08-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse an application for a dropped kerb at the complainant’s home. It is unlikely he would evidence of fault in how the Council made its decision.

Transport for London (20 000 801)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 04-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that Transport for London failed to classify his property as land required for the Crossrail 2 project. Mr X says as a result he has no remedy when his property is suffering ‘planning blight’ and cannot be sold. The complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction largely because it involves a central government department’s responsibility. We cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

Leicestershire County Council (19 021 253)

Statement Not upheld Other 03-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s involvement as highways consultee and its assessment of the as-built scheme. Mr X says the works have caused serious highway safety issues. The County Council provided its professional judgement on the as-built scheme to the Borough Council. There is no evidence of fault.

Somerset County Council (20 002 421)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 02-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the advice the Council gave as a consultee of a local planning application was wrong. This is there is not enough personal injustice to Mrs X to warrant investigation and it is unlikely we could add to the Council’s own investigation.