London Borough of Newham (24 015 422)
Category : Environment and regulation > Trees
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 19 Dec 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an alleged failure by the Council to maintain a public tree. This is because the injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complained the Council failed to carry out work to a tree on his road.
- Mr X said that as a result, the falling branches were causing a hazard to pedestrians.
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 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 the complainant and the Council.
- I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- In August 2023, the Council inspected a tree on Mr X’s road. Its written log showed work was required to remove some branches, thin the crown and remove some of the overhang. It classed the work as Priority One – Urgent and set a deadline of one week for it to be completed. The log recorded the risk category as ‘insignificant’.
- The Council did not carry out the work until August 2024. Mr X says however, that the Council’s contractors pruned the wrong tree and then reported the work as completed. As a result, when Mr X complained, the Council said the work had been done and it did not uphold his complaint.
- We will not investigate this complaint. Even if we found the Council to be at fault for delaying in carrying out work, or indeed, carrying out the work on the wrong tree, there is no evidence Mr X has been caused any injustice from this. There is also insufficient evidence of potential injustice to the general public to investigate on that basis. Risk of harm in these specific circumstances, is not sufficient.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint. Any injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman