Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about missed waste collections and that the waste collection crew were failing to lock the gates appropriately after collections. This is because an investigation would not lead to any further findings or worthwhile outcomes.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains about missed waste collections and that the waste collection crew were failing to lock the gates appropriately after collections. She also complains about the Council’s handling of her complaint.

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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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X contacted the Council in December 2024 to reported missed bin collections and spilled waste. She also raised concerns the crew was not closing and locking the gate properly following collections.
6. The Council responded to the complaint and confirmed it had attended to collect when Ms X made a missed collection report. The Council also confirmed Ms X’s address had been placed on the supervisor monitoring process which meant the collections supervisor would attend to ensure collections have taken place as scheduled and the gate locked correctly.
7. In response to our enquiries, the Council confirmed since the final complaint response was issued in March 2025, it had not received any further missed bin collection reports from Ms X. The Council also provided a copy of the monitoring completed by the collections supervisor which shows monitoring took place the day after the scheduled collections.
8. An investigation is not proportionate as it would not lead to any further worthwhile outcomes. The evidence shows the Council attended to collect the wate following receipt of the missed collection reports from Ms X and appropriately monitored Ms X’s waste collections for four weeks. An investigation could not achieve anything more.
9. Further, there is no ongoing injustice to warrant investigation as the Council has confirmed there have been no more missed collection reports since it issued its final complaint response. Therefore, an investigation is not proportionate use of our limited resources.
10. Finally, as we are not investigating the substantive matter, we will not investigate Ms X’s complaints about the Council’s handling of her complaint.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because an investigation would not lead to any further findings or worthwhile outcomes.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman