Mole Valley District Council (23 010 224)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council failing to give a new development near Mr X’s home a separate street address. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X says he has received deliveries meant either for site or one of the four new properties which have been built near his property as the new houses have the same number as his house but are suffixed with a letter.
- Mr X says this is causing confusion as the new houses have not been given a separate street address.
- Mr X would like the Council to give the new development a separate street address.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council has explained the reasons for its decision not to give the new development a separate street name. This is because two of the properties front onto Mr X’s road and as there are only two other properties in the development the Council has used its discretion to decide not to give those a new street address.
- This is in line with the Council’s policy published for the naming and numbering of streets, so there is no procedural fault even though I recognise Mr X might want the Council to take different action.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman