Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about a partially missed refuse collection. This is because the matter has not caused Ms X any significant personal injustice which is serious enough to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council did not fully empty her general refuse bin during a collection and would not return to collect it.

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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 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)
3. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Ms X complained to the Council that it did not fully empty her refuse bin during a collection.
7. The Council told Ms X the crew reported the bin was not fully emptied because the contents were compacted. This meant the contents did not fall freely from the bin when it was loaded onto the collection vehicle. It advised Ms X to ensure the contents were not compacted, avoid overfilling the bin and dispose of any excess waste that does not fit loosely into the bin. It said the waste would be collected on the next routine collection.
8. Ms X says the bin was not compacted.
9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. This is because whilst I acknowledge the matter caused Ms X some minor annoyance and inconvenience it did not cause her any significant personal injustice which is so serious that it warrants a further investigation by this office and the use of public money to carry out an investigation.
10. We do not investigate every complaint we receive and we must focus our limited public resources on investigating those complaints where a person has suffered a significant personal injustice as a result of alleged fault by a body in our jurisdiction.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the matter has not caused her any significant personal injustice which is serious enough to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman