Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his illegal parking reports before October 2024. This part of his complaint is late. We will also not investigate its response to his more recent reports and its handling of his complaint. It is unlikely further investigation would lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains about the Council’s handling of his reports of illegal parking near his home. He says this limits footpath and road access near his property and causes him stress. He also complains about poor complaint handling. He wants the Council to enforce illegal parking in the area.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)
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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council, and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. In June 2025, Mr B complained the Council was not taking sufficient enforcement action against owners of illegally parked cars near his home, even though he had made several reports over the last two years.
6. Mr B approached us about this matter in October 2025.
7. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s responses to his illegal parking reports before October 2024. This part of his complaint is late. If Mr B was unhappy with the Council’s response at that time, I can see no good reason why he could not have approached us sooner.
8. In its complaint response to Mr B, the Council accepted that parking enforcement near his home had fallen below its standards and it apologised for this. It said since Mr B’s complaint, it had improved its monitoring and enforcement in the area and had visited sixteen times over the previous six weeks. The Council said it had logged seven vehicles for parking contraventions and issued four Penalty Charge Notices during the same period.
9. The Council signposted Mr B to its website to report illegally parked vehicles in future. It also said he could contact his local councillor for support to introduce a new parking scheme in his area.
10. Mr B also complained about the Council’s delays responding to his complaints.
11. In its response, the Council accepted it did not respond to Mr B’s complaints within its policy timescales. It apologised for this and said it was committed to improving its communications and service delivery going forward.
12. We will not investigate Mr B’s remaining complaint. The Council has accepted that it could have done more in response to his previous reports of illegal parking. It apologised to Mr B and took steps to improve parking monitoring and enforcement near his home. For future issues, it signposted him to its website to report illegally parked vehicles so an officer could attend, and his local councillor to discuss a new parking scheme. The Council also accepted fault for its complaints handling. It apologised and committed to improving its service. This is an appropriate response to his complaint. Although I accept Mr B wants the Council to do more, we will not investigate as it is unlikely further investigation would lead to a different outcome.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint. Part of it is late, and it is unlikely further investigation of the Council’s more recent response to his illegal parking reports would lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman