Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mr X’s planning applications. This is because he had the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector. I do not consider Mr X has suffered significant injustice in relation to the remaining issues complained about.

The complaint

1. Mr X has complained about how the Council dealt with his planning applications. He says there were procedural failings and administrative errors. Mr X says the Council’s actions led to incorrect planning decisions and his development has been delayed. Mr X says he has suffered personal and financial distress.

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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. The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint when someone can appeal to a government minister. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to expect the person to appeal. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(b), as amended)
4. The Planning Inspector acts on behalf of the responsible Government minister. The Planning Inspector considers appeals about:

• Delay – usually over eight weeks – by an authority in deciding an application for planning permission
• A decision to refuse planning permission
• Conditions placed on planning permission
• A planning enforcement notice.

5. 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 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

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

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My assessment

7. Mr X has raised many concerns about his planning applications. However, he could have appealed to the Planning Inspector if he was unhappy with the Council’s decision to refuse his planning applications.
8. Mr X says his complaint is not about the planning decisions. Instead, his concerns relate to how the applications were dealt with by the Council. But these matters are related to the planning decisions which could have been appealed and I consider it would have been reasonable for Mr X to have used his right to appeal. The Ombudsman will not usually investigate when someone had a right to appeal to the Planning Inspector, even if the appeal would not address all the issues complained about.
9. Mr X says the case officer did not properly communicate with him and did not agree to speak to him to discuss the issues he raised about the application. I do not consider the injustice suffered because of any fault with how the Council communicated with Mr X would be significant enough to warrant an investigation.
10. Mr X has also complained about the Council’s complaint handling. However, where the Ombudsman has decided not to investigate the substantive issues complained about, we will not usually use public resources to consider more minor matters such as complaint handling.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he had the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector. Mr X has not suffered significant injustice in relation to the remaining issues complained about.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman