Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of matters relating to parking restrictions in Mr X’s locale. This is because the Council has taken appropriate action to resolve the complaint and an investigation is unlikely to achieve anything further.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I refer to as Mr X, says the Council did not taken action to resolve his concerns, and those of other residents, about extended parking restriction lines and the issuing of related PCNs.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Following Mr X’s complaint to us, the Council has now confirmed it has contacted its contractor and instructed it to remove the extension to the double yellow lines in question. It has also confirmed that the PCN issued to Mr X has been cancelled and that it will notify Mr X of this.
6. As the Council has taken this action, and an investigation by the Ombudsman would be unlikely to achieve anything further, we will not investigate the complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has taken appropriate action to resolve the complaint and an investigation is unlikely to achieve anything further.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman