Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council allocates its street cleaning resources across its different wards. Any alleged fault has not caused her a significant injustice. The issues she raises would be better addressed to her local councillor or MP.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council did not allocate enough financial resources to deal with fly-tipping and littering in the area she lived. She said the Council allocated neighbouring wards greater resources. She said the Council had not been transparent in how it allocated resources. She said the high volume of littering and fly-tipping had a negative impact on the area she lived. She wants the Council to be transparent about how it allocates funding and to work with the local community to address the issues.

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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 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

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

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My assessment

5. We usually only investigate complaints where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults by the Council. Although I am aware of the adverse impact the littering has on Ms X’s surroundings, we would not consider the injustice caused by this significant enough to justify our involvement. The issues she raises are better addressed to her local councillor or MP.
6. Additionally, the Council recognises the issues with fly-tipping and littering. It confirmed the resources it had in place to keep the area clean. It said it could not respond to Ms X’s specefic question about the allocation of resources per-head in its different ward areas as it did not record information in that way. Further investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different outcome.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman