Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint, brought on behalf of a Parish Council, about how Dorset Council dealt with a planning application. The complaint is outside our jurisdiction. We cannot accept complaints brought by people not complaining as members of the public. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies, which includes parish councils.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains on behalf of a Parish Council (PC) about a planning application in the area. He complains Dorset Council:
1. may not have acted legally by commissioning and paying for external consultants on a planning application;
2. did not allow the PC to provide consultee feedback on material planning matters.

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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 can only accept complaints from members of the public, who claim to have suffered injustice, or from their authorised representative. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26A, as amended)
4. 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

5. I considered information from Mr X, and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X has brought the complaint to the Council and to us on behalf of the PC with which he is involved, not as a member of the public. We cannot accept such complaints.
7. Mr X represents a Parish Council, which is a body created for public service purposes. We cannot investigate complaints from those bodies about other public bodies, such as the Council.
8. For these reasons the Local Government Act 1974 prohibits us from accepting or investigating the complaint, so we will not do so.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because:
• we cannot accept it because he has not brought the complaint as a member of the public; and
• we cannot investigate complaints from public bodies.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman