Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council failing to collect her bins for over eight weeks. This is because the matter she complains about affected all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council failing to collect bins for over eight weeks. She also complains the Council’s contingency plans were inadequate.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

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

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My assessment

6. Miss X’s bins had not been collected due to industrial strike action. The strike was ended on 7 December 2023, and bin collections resumed on 8 December.
7. The industrial strike action which caused the issues Miss X complains about is something which affected all or most of the people living in the Council’s area. Therefore, the restriction detailed in paragraph three above applies, and we cannot investigate it.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the matter she complains about affected all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman