Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about missed bin collections because any injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about missed refuse bin collections. He says the Council has moved the collection point to the end of the road, which has resulted in him losing three bins which he had to pay to replace.

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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 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 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

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained the Council missed bin collections. The Council said its collection staff could not access the road to collect bins due to poor parking. It said it had sent leaflets to people living on the road. It moved the collection point to the end of the road to make sure it could empty bins.
6. Mr X says the Council are not collecting bins from the new collection point. The Council says it has only missed three collections since Mr X complained five months ago. It went out to collect the bins after the missed collections were reported.
7. The Council says it has replaced the three bins Mr X lost without charging him.
8. We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter. While I recognise the inconvenience caused to Mr X, I consider any injustice is not significant enough to justify an investigation by the Ombudsman.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify an investigation by the Ombudsman.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman