Recent statements in this category are shown below:
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South Holland District Council (23 015 432)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 13-Feb-2024
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s pre-application planning advice. This is because Mr X applied for planning permission against the Council’s recommendation and did not seek any further advice after correcting an error regarding the location of the proposal. The Council also made clear its advice was informal and non-binding and it was Mr X’s choice to incur costs to pursue a formal application. We could not therefore say the injustice he claims is the result of any fault by the Council.
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Bedford Borough Council (23 017 416)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 09-Feb-2024
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainant’s request for pre-application planning advice. This is because it is unlikely an investigation would add to the Council’s response or achieve anything more for the complainant.
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London Borough of Waltham Forest (23 005 554)
Statement Upheld Planning advice 31-Jan-2024
Summary: Mr X complained the Council did not provide him with the pre-application planning advice he paid for. We agree and find the Council at fault for not doing so. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to refund the fee Mr X paid for the advice and apologise to him.
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Derbyshire Dales District Council (23 014 400)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 25-Jan-2024
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about planning advice given at a meeting, because we are unlikely to be able to establish whether the Council acted with fault. It is also reasonable to expect the complainant to have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate if he wanted to challenge the refusal of his planning application.
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South Gloucestershire Council (23 012 713)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 18-Jan-2024
Summary: We will not investigate Mr and Mrs X’s complaint that they were misled about the costs of varying a planning condition by the Council and the Planning Portal. This is because there is no evidence of fault by the Council and we have no power to consider any complaint about the Planning Portal.
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London Borough of Waltham Forest (23 014 183)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 14-Dec-2023
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the pre-application planning advice the Council provided to the complainant. This is because an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to add to the Council’s response.
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Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (23 011 583)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 30-Nov-2023
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about planning advice because, in the absence of independent evidence, we are unlikely to be able to establish whether the Council acted with fault.
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Northumberland County Council (23 002 951)
Statement Upheld Planning advice 27-Nov-2023
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council gave her incorrect planning advice. We found fault because the Council said she needed planning permission when she did not. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to make a payment to Mrs X.
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Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 10-Nov-2023
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to confirm a tree preservation order and subsequent decisions on a plot of land owned by the complainant. Further investigation is unlikely to lead to a different outcome.
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Northumberland County Council (23 009 602)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Planning advice 08-Nov-2023
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pre-planning application advice service. We do not consider the complainant has suffered a significant personal injustice. Nor do we consider an investigation would achieve a worthwhile outcome.