Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council spending on an arts project as this does not cause a significant personal injustice to the complainant.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains Council spending on an arts project is discriminatory, elitist and exclusionary. Ms X says she will not attend events at the arts project as a result.

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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))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. While I recognise Ms X has strong feelings about this matter, from our perspective, she is not caused a level of personal loss or harm that would warrant our further involvement. We will not therefore investigate

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because she is caused insufficient personal injustice to justify our further involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman