Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council deciding to increase the cost of a season ticket for some of its car parks. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council reached its decision.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to increase the cost of a season ticket for some of its car parks. He says it is unnecessary, unwarranted and unfair.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We can 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. So, we do not start an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

3. With regard to the first bullet point above, we can 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

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

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My assessment

5. I appreciate Mr X is very unhappy about the Council’s decision to increase the cost of a season ticket for parking.
6. But 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 whether there was fault in how the Council made its decision. If we decide there was no fault in how it did so, we cannot ask whether it should have made a particular decision or say it should have reached a different outcome, regardless of whether Mr X disagrees with the decision the Council made.
7. The Council’s Parking Services manager considered a report providing the reasons for the proposed increase, and I have seen no evidence of procedural fault in the way decision was made. So, we will not start an investigation into Mr X’s complaint.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council reached its decision.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman