Richmondshire District Council (20 006 354)
Category : Transport and highways > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 25 Nov 2020
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: The Ombudsman has no jurisdiction to investigate a complaint about the actions of the Council in its role as a social landlord.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I refer to here as Mr B has complained about action by the Council in relation to people parking on a green on the estate where he lives.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate. It says we cannot investigate a complaint about action taken by or on behalf of a local authority in its capacity as a registered provider of social housing. This means action in connection with its housing activities so far as they relate to the provision or management of social housing. [Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5.5 (as amended)]
How I considered this complaint
- I have considered what Mr B said in his complaint and background information provided by the Council. The Council has confirmed the issues Mr B complains about relate to its housing management functions.
What I found
- The Council has taken action to prevent damage to the green which is part a housing estate it manages.
- We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about the way the Council manages the estate. This is because our jurisdiction does not cover complaints about the management of social housing.
Final decision
- We have no jurisdiction to investigate this complaint.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman