Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about problems the complainant had trying to get a parking permit and contacting the Council. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I refer to as Ms X, complains she could not use the application process to apply for a parking permit. She also complains the Council did not respond to her email and she could not speak to anyone by phone.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 an investigation if we decide:

• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered our Assessment Code and invited Ms X to comment on a draft of this decision.

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My assessment

4. Ms X contacted the Council to ask if she would need a parking permit for a removals van. She says she did not receive a response so, on moving day, she tried to apply for a permit on-line but the system would not process her application. Ms X tried to call the Council but was unable to speak to anyone. Ms X complained but says she did not get a response. The Council did reply but sent the reply to the email linked to her permit account rather than the email address she had used for her complaint.
5. In its subsequent response the Council apologised for replying to the wrong address. The Council said it had tested Ms X’s permit account and there were no problems. It provided contact details if she needed to make contact again and offered some advice and information on applying for permits. The Council invited Ms X to provide further information about the email which was not answered and the number she had used during her unsuccessful attempts to call. I do not know if Ms X provided further information.
6. Ms X tried to do the right thing by asking, in advance, if the removal van would need a permit. She tried to apply on-line and tried to contact the Council for help. I do not know why Ms X did not get a response to her initial query or why she was unable to get a permit on-line. I acknowledge this series of events may have been frustrating, inconvenient and annoying. However, the Council has apologised and invited Ms X to provide further information about the communication issues. Overall, while recognising this did not go smoothly for Ms X, there is insufficient evidence of injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman