Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (26 009 930)
Category : Other Categories > Councillor conduct and standards
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 05 Jul 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council communicate with X. This is because a complaint about the Council’s decision here is now late and there are no good reasons to consider it now.
The complaint
- X was unhappy the Council decided they could only communicate with it through a nominated single point of contact (SPOC). X said this meant that letters and other communication they sent to Councillors, was being intercepted by Council officers. X said this meant local Councillors were avoiding proper scrutiny.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- X complained about the Council’s decision to nominate a SPOC for all their contact with the Council. They were unhappy, that their correspondence sent to Cabinet Members and Ward Forums, were passed to Council Officers instead.
- I will not investigate X’s complaint because it is a late complaint. X variously referred, in their correspondence with us, that some aspects of their complaint stemmed back to 2009 and then again in 2015.
- Additionally, on the evidence I have seen, X was aware in early 2024, their contact was being managed by a SPOC at the Council. X did not complain to us until July 2026 and so a complaint about that decision is now late. And I have not seen any evidence of good reasons as to why a complaint about that decision could not have been made to us sooner.
Final decision
- We will not investigate X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons why a complaint could not have been made sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman