Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about boundary changes. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider the late complaint.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council have changed the local boundaries meaning her home is now classed as being in a different district.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)
3. 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))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. The Council determined the current boundary in 2000. Ms X says she became aware of the issue in 2022, but she did not complain to the Ombudsman until 2025.
7. We look at each complaint individually, and on its merits, considering the circumstances of each case. But we do not exercise discretion to accept a late complaint unless there are good reasons to do so. I have considered whether to exercise our discretion to investigate the complaint, but I have seen no good reasons to do so.
8. Even if we were to exercise discretion to consider the late complaint, we would not investigate. This is because the claimed fault has not caused Ms X any significant injustice. This is particularly because I note the boundary was changed in 2000, but Ms X did not notice until 2022. The significant length of time it took Ms X to notice implies the boundary change had minimal impact on Ms X.

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Final decision

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

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman