Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council charging a parish council to use the Council’s lighting columns to hang decorative features. This is because we cannot investigate complaints made by public bodies such as parish councils.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will refer to as Mr B, complains on behalf of a parish council. Mr B says the Council has wrongly decided to charge the parish council to use the Council’s lighting columns for hanging baskets and Christmas lights.

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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 complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mr B complains on behalf of a parish council. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies such as parish councils. This means we have no discretion to investigate the issue Mr B complains about.

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Final decision

7. We cannot investigate this complaint because it is from a public body.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman