Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about taxi licensing because we cannot achieve the outcome Mr Y is seeking and it is reasonable to expect him to use his right of appeal to the magistrates court if he wishes his licenses to be reinstated.

The complaint

1. Mr Y has complained the Council has sought to revoke all his taxi licenses. Mr Y says this will mean he cannot work and will have no income and is seeking a cancellation of the hearing.

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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 we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

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

3. The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint when someone could take the matter to court. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to expect the person to go to court. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(c), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information Mr Y and the Council provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr Y told us that he was looking for the outcome of his complaint to be that a hearing, held by the Council, to consider whether or not to revoke his various taxi licenses, including private hire vehicle license, to be cancelled. However, this hearing took place in December 2025. In the hearing, the Council revoked Mr Y’s licenses. Consequently, as the hearing has already taken place, we cannot achieve the outcome Mr Y was looking for. As we must use public money carefully, where we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, as is the case here, we will not investigate.
6. Further, Mr Y was given a right to appeal to the magistrates court if he wished to challenge the decision to revoke his licenses. The magistrates court can make reasonable adjustments where needed and has been given the powers to consider such appeals. Therefore we would consider it reasonable for Mr Y to use his right of appeal and we will not investigate.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because we cannot achieve the outcome Mr Y is seeking and it is reasonable to expect him to use his right of appeal to the magistrates court if he wishes his licenses to be reinstated.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman