Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Mr X’s concerns about littering and street cleanliness. The claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement. In any case, further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained to the Council about littering, fly tipping and general cleanliness of the street where he lives.
2. Mr X said the Council’s handling of his complaint was poor.
3. Mr X said the matters have caused him to live in an unpleasant environment and the Council caused him frustration.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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 complained about cleanliness issues on the street where he lives. He said there were issues with littering, fly tipping and drug paraphernalia.
8. The Council responded to Mr X’s complaint and advised it was already aware of the issue. The Council detailed actions it was taking, or intended to take, to tackle the issues.
9. The action included enforcement patrols, a period of monitoring the area and considering options to improve the street cleansing process.
10. We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by an organisation.
11. In this case, I do not consider Mr X has suffered a significant injustice because of the Council’s actions.
12. In any case, I do not believe further investigation by us would lead to a different outcome. The actions taken by the Council appear appropriate and I do not consider we would achieve anything further. We could not direct the Council to take the additional actions Mr X is looking for.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement and further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman