Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the increased cost of the Council’s high hedge complaint service since 2016. The complaint lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the increase in the cost of the Council’s high hedge complaint service since 2016.

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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 effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Mr X raised concerns about his neighbour’s high hedge in 2016 but, under the direction of the Council, he did not pursue a high hedge complaint at that time. The fee for a high hedge complaint in 2016 was £350.
8. In June 2024, Mr X went to make a high hedge complaint and found the fee had increased to £1000.
9. Mr X complained to the Council about the level of the fee increase in June 2025. He said the increase could not be explained by rising costs or inflation, is more than some other councils charge, and should be largely covered by his Council Tax payments.
10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. It lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late. The law says a complaint should be made to us within 12 months of the person affected first becoming aware of the matter. Mr X found out about the increased cost in June 2024 but did not complain to us until August 2025. I see no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider this late complaint now.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. It lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now so long after Mr X first became aware of the matter.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman