Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about missed bin collections. This is because the number of missed collections in the 12 months before Mr X complained to us are not significant enough to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council frequently misses his bin collections and does not explain why.

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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:

• 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))

We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council/care provider has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X complains that the Council frequently misses his bin collections. He says residents have to pay private contractors to clear the waste because it creates a health risk.
6. Mr X complained to the Council about this issue in August 2024, although he first became aware of it in June 2023. The council issued its final response to his complaint in September 2024. Mr X then complained about further missed collections towards the end of 2024, and at the start of 2025. He brought his complaint to us in June 2025.
7. I will not investigate any missed collections prior to June 2024. This part of the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now. Although the missed collections he has reported within the past 12 months are not late, the number of collections affected and the injustice claimed are not significant enough to warrant an investigation. No service is perfect and where collections are missed, we would expect residents to report them and give the Council an opportunity to put things right in the first instance. Where this has also failed, and in the event these failures are consistent and ongoing, we may investigate. But in this case the missed collections are infrequent and sporadic so do not suggest any systemic issues.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there have not been enough missed collections within the past 12 months to warrant investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman