Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to clean streets near to where the complainant lives. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will call Ms X, complains about that the Council has failed to sweep the streets in her area.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (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 provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. I will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. In responding to my enquiries, the Council has said that the roads which are subject to Ms X’s complaint are cleaned every four weeks, and often less than this. The Council has said that streets are subject to monitoring and that supervisors have confirmed that checks are made on the streets subject to Ms X’s complaint. Whilst I appreciate the street might not be as clean as Ms X would wish for but there is nothing to suggest we need to start an investigation.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman