Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (25 005 387)
Category : Environment and regulation > Refuse and recycling
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 09 Sep 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refuse workers repeatedly leaving his neighbour’s bin in front of his driveway. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action in response to Mr X’s complaint and there is nothing further we would add or recommend.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council’s refuse collection crews repeatedly leave his neighbour’s bin in front of his driveway and about the impact of this.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect 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 the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
- We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:
- we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
- we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6) & (7) as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X complained to the Council about the matter set out in paragraph one, above.
- The Council apologised to Mr X. It also instructed the crews to: return bins to the correct location in front of the wall of the driveway; ensure the bins do not block Mr X’s driveway and not to put neighbouring property’s bins in front of Mr X’s property. It also placed Mr X’s property on monitoring for four weeks to ensure these instructions were complied with.
- We will not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action to resolve the matter prior to our involvement and there is nothing further we would add or recommend were we to also investigate.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has already taken suitable action to resolve the issue raised in his complaint.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman