Staffordshire County Council (21 008 428)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 21-Oct-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s actions on his wedding day. This is because the Council has provided a suitable remedy for the complaint.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (21 007 829)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 20-Oct-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s actions leading up to her wedding. This is because the Council is not responsible for missing off details from her notice of marriage and is not at fault for failing to realise Mrs X would want to include them. It has also offered a suitable remedy for the issue. The Council’s handling of the pre-wedding interview did not cause Mrs X significant injustice.

Lancaster City Council (20 011 267)

Statement Not upheld Covid-19 13-Oct-2021

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision not to award her a discretionary business grant. She said the Council’s policy to only help contracted market traders is unfair and was not consistently applied. The Ombudsman has not found fault with the Council’s decision.

Torbay Council (21 006 811)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 27-Sep-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the Council for breaches of COVID-19 restrictions. This is because the matter will be considered by the courts, who will decide if an offence has taken place.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (20 005 385)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 31-Aug-2021

Summary: Mr B complained on behalf of himself and his father about the decision of an Allotment Society, on behalf of the Council, to ban both of them (and his brother) from his father’s allotment in May 2020. This decision was made after they complained about an incident where they were asked to extinguish a fire. We find the Society undertook a flawed investigation of their complaint and its decision to ban them also followed a flawed process. We consider this caused avoidable distress. At the end of this statement, we set out action the Council has agreed to remedy that injustice.

Telford & Wrekin Council (21 003 883)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 19-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to delay restarting swimming lessons for those with special needs. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

London Borough of Islington (20 014 077)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 11-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about a Prohibition Notice issued by the Council. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault or that we could say the Council’s actions caused the injustice Ms X claims.

Central Bedfordshire Council (21 000 599)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 25-Jun-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a report that one of its officers had breached COVID-19 rules. This is because it is unlikely that we can add to the Council’s investigation or achieve a different outcome.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (21 000 862)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 23-Jun-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the conduct of a Council Officer during a meeting on a caravan site during Lockdown. It is unlikely that we will find fault in the Council’s actions. And the injustice claimed is not sufficient to warrant our involvement.

Scarborough Borough Council (20 006 769)

Statement Not upheld Covid-19 17-Jun-2021

Summary: Mr X complained the Council did not reduce the fees charged to marina users during the COVID-19 national lockdown. Mr X was unable to use his boat as often and was affected financially. The Ombudsman found the Council was not at fault and was entitled to make its decision.