North Level District Internal Drainage Board (20 003 300)

Statement Upheld Drainage 30-Jun-2021

Summary: Mrs B complains the Internal Drainage Board (“the IDB”) threatened to take enforcement action against her while taking no action against a nearby golf club. Mrs B says both decisions put her home at risk. The Ombudsman finds fault in how the IDB communicated with Mrs B, in not investigating concerns about the golf club and its complaints procedure.

North East Lincolnshire Council (21 000 427)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 24-Jun-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with his reports of a blocked drain near a supermarket. The Council resolved the matter and has not caused Mr X injustice.

Cumbria County Council (21 001 294)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 23-Jun-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s drain maintenance and it not accepting responsibility for flooding to her property. Mrs X’s complaint is a claim of negligence by the Council, a legal matter on which only a court can rule. It would not be unreasonable for Mrs X to seek a remedy in court, so we will not exercise our discretion to investigate.

Lancashire County Council (20 013 497)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 22-Jun-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s delay in dealing with an obstruction to a watercourse which affected his property. We will not investigate the complaint because the obstruction has now been removed and the Council will be contacting the landowner responsible about it.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council (20 012 296)

Statement Upheld Drainage 21-Jun-2021

Summary: Mr C complained about the Council’s response to his reports of flooding to his garden. We have ended our investigation as the Council has agreed to complete works which we consider provides a suitable remedy.

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (20 013 384)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 08-Jun-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council serving a Building Act Notice to repair a drain, the actions of its contractor, and the amount Mrs X must pay for the work. It was reasonable for Mrs X to appeal the Notice if she wanted to challenge the proportion of the cost she should pay. There is no reason to investigate the final invoice and investigation is not likely to achieve the result Mrs X wants.

Environment Agency (20 007 594)

Statement Not upheld Drainage 27-May-2021

Summary: There is no fault in the administrative process the Environment Agency has followed to develop the flood alleviation scheme. We have not investigated the technical merits of the scheme. We have completed our investigation.

Sheffield City Council (20 013 385)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 14-May-2021

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to prevent run-off from the nearby highway footway from draining onto his property causing water damage. We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint. This is because it concerns a civil matter, and it is reasonable for him to make a claim against the Council or seek a remedy in the courts.

Warwick District Council (20 011 875)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Drainage 13-May-2021

Summary: Ms X complains the Council failed to progress her complaints made about failures by its officers to answer questions she had posed concerning flood defences. We will not investigate the complaint because there are insufficient grounds to warrant an investigation.

Essex County Council (20 007 292)

Statement Not upheld Drainage 30-Apr-2021

Summary: Mrs Y complained the Council failed to properly investigate her reports of a defective drain, which she says caused flooding and damage to her rear garden. We have discontinued the investigation into Mrs Y’s complaint because the Council is not at fault. This is because Mrs Y has recently discovered that a leak from her neighbour’s property was responsible for the excess water found in her garden.