Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a missed garden waste collection. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, complains about a missed garden waste collection. He accuses the Council of dishonesty and making false statements. He wants a refund for the missed collection.

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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, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(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 and the Council. This includes the complaint correspondence and an update from the Council regarding monitoring. I also considered our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X complained of missed collections in early 2024. Since March 2024 the Council has been monitoring the collections and reports there have not been any issues.
5. In December 2024 Mr X reported a missed garden waste collection. The Council said he had not presented the bin for emptying. Mr X says he did present the bin and says the Council has implied he has lied. Mr X wants a refund for the missed collection and says he pays £50 a year for the service.
6. Missed collections are annoying and frustrating but the impact of one missed collection, even though Mr X pays for the service, does not represent a degree of injustice which requires an investigation. I appreciate Mr X says the Council implied he has lied but there is no evidence to support this assertion. Instead, the Council reflected there is a dispute about whether Mr X presented the bin and this is not something we could resolve. In addition, the degree of injustice does not warrant any further involvement by us.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate this complaint because there in sufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman