Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about road markings outside Mrs X’s home. The claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mrs X said the Council replaced H-bar markings outside her home with double yellow lines.
2. Mrs X said she had been impacted financially as she paid for the H-bar markings and said people continue to park in a way which obstructs access to her property.

Back to top

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))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

6. Mrs X said she paid for H-bar markings outside of her home in 2017. Mrs X said in 2024, the Council removed the markings and introduced double yellow lines.
7. Mrs X wants the Council to refund her for the cost of the H-bar marking given all residents now benefit from the double yellow lines but did not have to pay.
8. We will not normally investigate a complaint unless there is good reason to believe that the complainant has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the Council.
9. In this case, I consider any injustice caused to Mrs X by vehicles obstructing access to her property is caused by inconsiderate motorists, not by the Council.
10. The available evidence does not suggest Mrs X has suffered a significant injustice by the Council removing the H-bar marking to implement double yellow lines.
11. Mrs X had the benefit of the H-bar marking between 2017 and 2024. The double yellow lines provide the same benefit and unlike the H-bar marking, are enforceable by the Council’s civil enforcement team.
12. For these reasons, we will not investigate this complaint.

Back to top

Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because her claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman