Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council’s dealt with reports of antisocial behaviour. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment code on how we decide which complaints to investigate.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council failed to act against antisocial behaviour at a local disused building.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained,

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

3. We do not start an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mr X does not own the property or live near it. The Council wrote to Mr X in July 2024 and said it would not sell him the property. It asked him not to enter or act as security for it.
7. We do not investigate every complaint we receive. We are funded by the public purse and must use our funds in an efficient and economical manner.
8. Mr X has no apparent legal connection to the building. There is no evidence of significant personal injustice caused to Mr X to justify investigating the complaint further.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault causing personal injustice to Mr X to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman