Bassetlaw District Council (22 016 372)
Category : Other Categories > Councillor conduct and standards
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 15 Mar 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint as it is made by a parish council and so not within our remit.
The complaint
- Mrs X, as the clerk to a parish council, complains on behalf of that council about the actions of a district councillor.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mrs X is the clerk to a parish council and complains about the District Council’s response to her complaint, made on behalf of the parish council, about the conduct of a district councillor.
- The law does not allow us to investigate complaints from public bodies and as this is such a complaint, we cannot investigate.
Final decision
- We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint because she complains as part of and on behalf of a public body, and as such the complaint is not within our remit.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman