Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a request to adopt an old telephone box. This is because the complaint is by the local Parish Council and the law prevents us from investigating complaints by public bodies.

The complaint

1. Mr X, a Parish Councillor, complains the Council failed to engage with BT regarding the adoption of an old telephone box. He says that as a result the Parish Council was unable to adopt the telephone box and this has upset residents in the village.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

5. We cannot investigate this complaint. This is because the complaint is made on behalf of the Parish Council, which is a public body, and we cannot investigate complaints by public bodies as set out at Paragraph 3. If any resident who is directly and significantly affected by the issue wishes to raise their own complaint they may complain to us directly.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman