Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a leaflet the Council posted to residents. This is because any actions by the Council did not cause a significant personal injustice to Mr X.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained to the Council about a leaflet it delivered across the local area. He said the leaflet questioned whether the area should have a parish Council and Council meetings had no record of a decision to support a parish-tier Council.
2. He said the leaflet could be seen to influence the reader and undermines an ongoing consultation about unitary authorities.
3. He said the leaflet frustrated members of a branch of a political party. He said there should be an internal investigation, and the Council should consider publishing a new leaflet.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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 fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• 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

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

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My assessment

7. We will not normally investigate a complaint unless there is good reason to believe that the complainant has suffered a significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the Council. Mr X said the leaflet frustrated members of a branch of a political party, and this does not demonstrate a significant personal injustice to Mr X.

We will not normally investigate a complaint where the complainant is using their enquiry as a way of raising a wider political or community campaign. In these cases, their concerns may be better addressed to their local councillor or MP rather than the Ombudsman.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any actions by the Council did not cause a significant personal injustice to Mr X.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman