Summary: We will not investigate X’s complaint that a Council leisure centre delayed cancelling his membership and reimbursing his membership fee. This is because any injustice to X is not significant enough to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. X complains that a Council run leisure centre took 7 months to cancel their membership and reimburse a membership fee.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

5. The Council has cancelled X’s membership and reimbursed their membership fee and apologised to X for not doing this sooner. I will not investigate X’s complaint because I do not consider that issues raised have caused X a significant enough injustice to warrant investigation

Back to top

Final decision

6. We will not investigate X’s complaint because he has not suffered a significant enough injustice.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman