Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to provide Mr X with a safe and reasonable refuse collection. This is because the complaint is late.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the Council has failed to provide a safe and reasonable refuse collection solution for him. He has no access to external bin storage. Since changing to a fortnightly collection system, he must store his household waste indoors for two weeks at a time. Mr X says this has creates a health hazard, including odours, risk of vermin, poor air quality, and affects his mental health.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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 has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council introduced fortnightly general waste collections together with weekly food waste collections in August 2022. Mr X has been aware of the changes since that time. Therefore his complaint is late and we have seen no good reason to exercise discretion in this matter.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman