Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to collect waste bins due to industrial action. This is because we have no jurisdiction to investigate matters which affect all or most people in the Council’s area.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council has failed to collect her bins regularly.
2. She also complains that the Council’s complaint responses have been poor.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. We cannot investigate something that affects all or most of the people in a council’s area. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(7) as amended).

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

7. Mrs X’s bins have not been collected regularly due to industrial action – an action affecting all or most people in her area. We have no jurisdiction to investigate any matter that affects all or most people in the Council’s area.
8. It would not be a good use of public money to investigate the Council’s complaint handling in isolation.

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Final decision

9. We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the matter affects all or most people in her area.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman