Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about recycling collections. This is because the issue stems from industrial strike action by the Council’s refuse collection crews and is a matter which affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that the Council has failed to collect his recycling and failed to properly deal with his complaint about this matter. He wants the Council to restore the service and provide him with a financial remedy.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

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

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My assessment

6. The Council’s refuse collection crews began industrial strike action. This resulted in missed collections for a large proportion of the Council’s residents and a backlog of reports which the Council is trying to clear.
7. While I appreciate Mr X is unhappy the Council has not provided a reliable collection of recycling, he is affected by these issues in the same or a similar way as ‘all or most’ of the residents in the Council’s area. The exclusion set out at Paragraph 3 therefore applies. For this reason, I cannot investigate his complaint.

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Final decision

8. We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is about an issue which affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman