Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse Miss X’s application for a vehicle crossover. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making to warrant our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council refused her application for a vehicle crossover.
2. Miss X said the refusal caused distress and posed safety issues outside her home.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
4. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. The Council refused Miss X’s application for a vehicle crossover in November 2025. It also refused Miss X’s appeal later in November 2025.
8. The Council said Miss X’s application did not meet the requirements set out in its policy.
9. The policy sets out the amount of space a person must have in their front garden, for the Council to allow a vehicle crossover. Miss X did not meet these requirements and therefore, the Council refused her application and subsequent appeal.
10. The Ombudsman is not an appeal body. This means we do not take a second look at a decision to decide if it was wrong. Instead, we look at the processes an organisation followed to make its decision. If we consider it followed those processes correctly, we cannot question whether the decision was right or wrong.
11. While I recognise Miss X’s concerns about safety outside her home, there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making to warrant our involvement. The Council acted in line with its policy and set out its reasons for refusing the application. Therefore, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman