Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about waste collections because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, says the Council ignored his enquiry about waste collections and has failed to provide separate waste and recycling collections. He has a backlog of recycling. Mr X wants separate collections for waste and recycling.

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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 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 an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X. I also considered our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X queried why the Council was not carrying out waste collections in accordance with the schedule on the website. The website lists separate collections of waste and recycling on Tuesdays and Fridays. Initially the Council did not grasp what Mr X was asking and directed him to the website and sent a list of the planned collections.
5. Three days later the Council explained that due to Mr X’s housing estate still being under the control of the developer, and construction work happening during the week, the Council can only collect waste on Saturdays using a single van.
6. A couple of months later Mr X asked for an update. The Council said the area was still under same restrictions. The Council said it would send a letter to residents to say when the collections would be done in accordance with the website.
7. Mr X asked why the Council could not use one van to collect waste one week, and recycling the next week. The Council said that, for operational reasons, it had decided to use one van to collect waste and recycling every Saturday. The Council said this does not disadvantage residents because it is collecting both waste streams every week.
8. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault. Initially the Council did not correctly answer Mr X’s enquiry but he received the correct information within three days. This does not amount to fault requiring an investigation.
9. Mr X would prefer the Council to provide separate collections but it is for Council to decide how to operate its waste services. It has explained why there is a temporary change in the service and said it will provide separate collections when the developer says it is safe. I appreciate Mr X has a backlog of recycling but, while he may have environmental concerns, the Council will take the recycling if he puts it out for collection.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman