Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council considered a planning application. The complaint is historic and Mr X could have approached us within 12 months of becoming aware of the matter.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the way the Council is biased in the way it considers planning applications. He says the Council allows the applicant to speak after objectors, allowing them comment on what objectors have said. He says the Council has failed to deal with his complaint about this properly, or to answer his questions.

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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 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)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. A complaint is late if a person has been aware of the matter for more than 12 months before approaching us. We maty exercise discretion and consider the complaint if we decide the person could not have come to us sooner. That does not apply here. Mr X’s complaint relates directly to the Council’s treatment of planning application by a neighbour. He first complained to the Council in August 2023. He has been able to pursue the matter with the Council since then, and could have approached us much sooner. That he is dissatisfied with more recent responses by the Council to his correspondence, or has concerns about the Council’s overall approach to planning applications, does not create a good reason for us to investigate the complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate it now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman