Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the granting of planning permission for a 5G mast. Mr X has not claimed a significant personal injustice.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council did not properly consider the potential adverse health effects of 5G for those with pacemakers or other implantable medical devises when approving a planning application for a 5G mast.

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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 any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (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 the complainant and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by an organisation. In addition, we will not normally investigate a complaint where the complainant is using their enquiry as a way of raising a wider community campaign about something of general concern, but where they have not suffered injustice. Mr X has not claimed a significant personal injustice.

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Final decision

5. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he has not claimed a significant personal injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman