Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the accuracy of car park space availability on the Council’s parking website. There is insufficient evidence of any significant injustice to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to display the correct number of parking spaces available in its car parks which is displayed on its website. He says he drove to a car park based on the number available on the website but was unable to gain access as cars were queuing to enter it. He had to park elsewhere which caused him inconvenience.

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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 or may decide not to continue with 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 the information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says he checked the availability of spaces at a council car park which he drove to as he believed it would be the most convenient for an event in the city he was attending. When he arrived the car park had a queue of cars trying to enter it and he beloved the information he read online was incorrect. He had to park in a different car park which he said caused inconvenience to him and his wife.
6. Mr X complained to the Council. It said that the website displays spaces as accurately as possible but sudden demand can cause the displayed spaces to change rapidly. The count is also unlikely to include vehicles inside the park seeking a space or manoeuvring to exit. Mr X asked for a refund for the parking he paid for in another park but the Council declined this.
7. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
8. In this case there was no statutory duty for the Council to advise how many spaces were available in a particular park at a particular time. There is no guarantee that information about spaces cannot change at short notice and as Mr X did not access the car park it is not reasonable to expect a refund for parking.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint about the accuracy of car park space availability on the Council’s parking website. There is insufficient evidence of any significant injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman