Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a derelict building as Mr Y’s injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr Y complained the Council has failed to ensure the owner of a derelict building in the Council’s area has carried out works to the building to make the surrounding area safe.
2. Mr Y says when he travels to the area parts of the pavement are cordoned off and the bus lane and stop are closed, causing congestion and making the area unpleasant to visit. He is concerned for how this makes the area appear to new visitors.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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

4. I considered information Mr Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss of injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
6. While Mr Y may feel frustrated about this matter, his injustice is not a serious loss or harm and the inconvenience he has been caused is not a sufficiently serious matter to warrant our investigation. As his injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement we will not investigate.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because his injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman