Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with planning matters. This is because the complaint is made late.

The complaint

1. X complains about how the Council dealt with their planning application. X complains about how the Council dealt with their request for pre-application advice and says it deprived them of their right of appeal.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

5. The Council refused X’s planning application in April 2024, advising them of their right of appeal to the Planning Inspector and the timeframes for that appeal. X complained to the Council in July 2025.
6. I will not investigate X’s complaint because it is made late. I see no good reason why X could not have complained to the Ombudsman sooner about these matters.

Back to top

Final decision

7. We will not investigate X’s complaint because it is made late.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman