London Borough of Harrow (25 000 044)
Category : Environment and regulation > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 11 Jun 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to act against drivers who throw rubbish from their cars. This is because the complaint is made late, and I see no good reason to consider it now.
The complaint
- Mr X complains that the Council is failing to take enforcement action against drivers who throw rubbish from their cars.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X has reported several drivers to the Council for throwing rubbish from their cars. The Council considered a complaint from Mr X about how it had dealt with his reports. It issued a final response in July 2023, advising Mr X how he could escalate his complaint to the Ombudsman.
- I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is made late. I see no good reason why Mr X could not have asked us to consider the matter when the Council signposted him to us in July 2023.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is made late.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman