Summary: Mr X complains the Council delayed renewing the lease agreement for the charity he runs. We have ended our investigation because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council delayed renewing the lease agreement for the charity he runs.
2. Mr X says this delay caused the charity to lose donations.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

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 there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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What I found

4. The Council has told Mr X it is completing a review of its assets and will then finalise its lease agreements. Mr X would like the Council to expedite its decision-making. Councils have the right to review assets before making a decision about its lease agreements. We will not direct the Council to make its decision regarding Mr X’s lease before it has completed its review. For this reason, an investigation cannot achieve a worthwhile outcome for Mr X.

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Decision

5. I have ended our investigation into Mr X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman