Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to respond to requests to issue a completion certificate for her extension. The Council has advised Mrs X what information is required. It has offered to write to her again to confirm this or visit her property to progress matters with her and her builder.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council has failed to respond to repeated requests for a completion certificate for work carried out at her home. She wants the Council to respond to her requests, review drawings and sign off her extension.

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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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(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 Mrs X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council told Mrs X in 2023 what was required to enable it to make a decision whether to issue a completion certificate or not.
6. In response to my enquiries, it confirms it has not received necessary information from Mrs X or her builder.
7. The Council has offered to write to Mrs X again to confirm what information is needed. It also says officers are happy to meet her and her builder on site to progress the matter.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we consider that given the above, an investigation will not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman