Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to extend the expiry date of unused visitor car parking permits. The complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. We have seen no evidence of fault in the decision-making process.

The complaint

1. The complainant, I shall call Mr X complains the Council has decided not to extend the expiry date on unused visitor car parking permits.
2. He says he bought 50 permits so his brother could visit their mother. However, because of Covid 19 restrictions this was not possible. He now has vouchers which will expire.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We cannot question whether a council’s decision is right or wrong simply because the complainant disagrees with it. We must consider whether there was fault in the way the decision was reached. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. We cannot consider complaints about a policy just because someone disagrees with it. I have seen no evidence of fault in the process the Council followed leading to its decision not to extend the expiry date on visitor parking permits.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman