Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about grass cutting because there is not enough significant injustice to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr Y complained the Council was failing to cut the grass outside his property properly, with the middle of the grass and the edges being cut at different times. Mr Y felt frustrated by this as he thought it looked untidy.

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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 injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

4. Mr Y complained to the Council, which gave its final response in September 2023.
5. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss of injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
6. We would not consider the impact on Mr Y to be sufficient to categorise it as a serious harm caused by the Council’s actions. Consequently, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because is not enough significant injustice to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman