Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to parking enforcement. There is not enough evidence of fault, and we cannot achieve the outcome Miss X is looking for.

The complaint

1. Miss X said the Council did not do enough to prevent her driveway being blocked by other motor vehicles. She said the enforcement officers did not always work at the correct hours, and it was a poor service. Miss X said she was frequently inconvenienced.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Miss X complained to the Council, saying it needed to do more to ensure her driveway was free from obstructions, outside of normal working hours. She also asked it to consider an option where homeowners could report obstructions by themselves.
5. The Council explained how it approached parking contraventions and how it deployed its civil enforcement officers (CEO’s). It also said it had arranged for patrols on Miss X’s street, and invited her to continue to report matters of concern.
6. Given the Council’s replies, there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating this complaint. Whilst it is inconvenient for Miss X, the Council has explained it prioritises those areas with high levels of traffic and cannot always commit a CEO to minor residential roads.
7. In any case, we could not direct the Council on how to deploy its resources so could not achieve the outcome Miss X is looking for.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault, and we cannot achieve the outcome Miss X is looking for.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman