Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled changes to the way garden waste is collected. This is because we have decided any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains the Council failed to properly manage the transition of garden waste collection arrangements in his area from a shared skip to a household subscription service. Mr B says the Council did not clearly tell residents in advance that the skip arrangement would end in late June 2026 and residents could apply for the new household subscription service. Mr B says this has meant since early July he has had to make many trips to the local waste site to dispose of his garden waste and he does not want to pay the full £60 subscription fee so late in the year.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. People may complain to us about injustice caused by:
• ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’ by a public organisation we could investigate; or
• the actions of an organisation in connection with privately arranged adult social care.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 26A(1) or section 34C(1)(a)).

3. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), or section 34B(8)).

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. The law means we can choose only to investigate a complaint where the person has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by the body complained about.
7. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
8. I recognise the alleged fault by the Council caused Mr B some inconvenience because since July 2026 he has been taking his garden waste to the local waste site. But, Mr B’s transport costs must be balanced against the £60 garden waste subscription fee he would have paid earlier in the summer if he had known about this subscription service. And, I find Mr B has not suffered a significant injustice which would justify public money being spent on an investigation into how the Council managed this change to its garden waste collection service.
9. So, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate this complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman