Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions following the complainants request for a Community Trigger. The complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The complainant is complaining for a town council. We cannot investigate complaints made by public bodies.

The complaint

1. The complainant, I shall call Mr X complains, for a Town Council, about how the unitary Council (the Council) dealt with a request for a Community Trigger for anti-social behaviour.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

6. We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is a complaint from a public body.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman