Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to remove Mr X from its housing register in 2011. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons why we should consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X said the Council was at fault in the way it removed him from its housing register in 2011. He said he was not notified about this decision in writing, and the decision is procedurally unsound. He wants it now to restore his allocation list, backdated to 2011.

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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 late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained to us in August 2026, saying the Council was wrong to have removed him from its housing register in 2011, without a notice or reasoned decision. He wants it to restore his 2011 waiting time. I will not investigate this complaint because it is late and I have not seen any evidence of good reasons why a complaint could not have been made sooner.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman