Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Sports Centre charging Mr X’s son an admission fee to watch Mr X play squash. This is because we are unlikely to find fault with the Council’s implementation of its charging policy.

The complaint

1. Mr Z says the admission fee discourages adults from bringing their young children to watch them so affecting their future participation.
2. Mr Z would like the policy reviewed and the £1.90 fee refunded.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We cannot question whether a council’s decision is right or wrong simply because the complainant disagrees with it. We must consider whether there was fault in the way the decision was reached. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant which includes the Council’s response to his complaint.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. The Council’s response says the charges are set annually by the Council. And Mr X was charged correctly by the Council in accord with the admission charging policy.
7. We will not investigate as we are unlikely to find fault with the Council charging according to its policies. Mr X may wish to raise his concerns to his local elected representatives who sign off the charging policy every year.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to find fault.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman