Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s assisted bin collection service because any personal injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council’s refuse team failed to return his bin to his preferred location after collection. As a result, he had to move the bin himself, which caused him frustration. He wants the Council to ensure its refuse team returns his bin to his preferred location after collection.

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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, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation.

(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 Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council provides Mr X with an assisted bin collection service. This means the Council’s refuse team will collect Mr X’s bin from an agreed location on his property, empty it and return it to the same location.
6. Mr X complained to the Council. He said the refuse team had failed to return his bin to the agreed location after collection and on one occasion, they had returned the bin however they failed to place it back in its exact location.
7. The Council responded to Mr X. It said it had addressed the matter with the refuse team and reminded them of the importance of returning his bin. The Council added although it makes every effort to ensure bins are returned to their original location, it cannot always guarantee they are returned to the exact location.
8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. We recognise Mr X is frustrated with the matter however, any personal injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.
9. In any case, the Council took appropriate action and addressed the matter with its refuse team. This is what we would expect it to do.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any personal injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman