West Berkshire Council (25 009 428)
Category : Environment and regulation > Refuse and recycling
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 15 Oct 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the introduction of a garden waste collection fee based on council tax banding. There is not enough injustice to warrant an investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council has moved to a tiered pricing model based on council tax bands. He says this means he will have to pay more than other residents for the same service. He wants the council to hold a public consultation and review on this policy.
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 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))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council’s website.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council has confirmed that it made the decision to move to a tiered pricing model. According to its website, the cost for the service ranges from £40 to £75 for a 12-month subscription. Compared to the previous model, this means Mr X faces, at most, a £15 increase to his annual subscription. This price increase is not sufficient to warrant an investigation.
- Unlike other council services and fees, garden waste collection is an opt-in service and subscription is not mandatory. If Mr X is unhappy with the cost of the service, he can find alternative means of removing his garden waste.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient injustice to warrant an investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman