Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s bulky waste collection service as we cannot investigate matters which impact on all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council’s bulky waste collection service poses a potential fire risk to the public and should be discontinued.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate something that affects all or most of the people in a council’s area. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(7), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says that when he tried to arrange for a bulky waste collection by the Council it told him it would not collect the items from a passageway that leads to his front door. Mr X says this is because the Council concluded that "unknown parties" may set the items alight. 
6. Mr X agreed with the Council’s assessment and is now concerned about the risk the Council’s bulky item collection service poses to the public. Mr X says that as the Council’s policy requires items to be left on the street or in front yards, the items are visible and therefore, in his view, also at risk of being set alight. As such, Mr X considers the Council should discontinue its bulky waste collection service.
7. Mr X’s concerns are about risks to the public and so relate to all or most of the people in the Council’s area. We are not empowered to investigate such matters.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is not within our legal remit.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman