North Lincolnshire Council (21 001 023)
Category : Transport and highways > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 14 Jun 2021
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: This complaint is about the road layout outside the complainant’s home. We will not investigate this complaint as it is late. And we have seen no reason the complainant could not bring her concerns to us sooner.
The complaint
- The complainant, I shall call Mrs D, complains about the layout of the road in front of her home.
- She says the layout creates safety issues for access and exit of her home, there have been many accidents and family are frightened to visit.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- 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)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered the information provided by Mrs D. I also considered her complaints to the Council and its responses.
What I found
- Following a consultation with residents, including those at Mrs D’s address, the Council installed a new road layout in 2015.
- Amendments were made to the scheme in 2016, including moving a lamp post and extending the dropped kerb.
- Mrs D complained to the Council in 2020, stating the layout is dangerous for her family and those visiting her home.
Assessment
- I do not intend to investigate this complaint because it is late. The law says a complaint should be made to us within 12 months of a complainant becoming aware of the matter. The Council confirms the road layout was installed in 2015 with amendments completed in 2016.
- Mrs D has not provided any reason for not complaining to us sooner, when she has been aware of the matter for more than 5 years. I see no reason to investigate this late complaint.
Draft decision
- I will not investigate this complaint because it is made too late.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman