London Borough of Havering (25 015 474)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 03 Mar 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to reject Mr X’s vehicle crossing application. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now.
The complaint
- Mr X complained the Council refused his vehicle crossover application. Mr X states this has caused him stress and anxiety.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X appealed the refusal of his vehicle crossover application in January 2024. The Council issued a Stage One response upholding its decision, and Mr X requested a Stage Two escalation later that month. He heard nothing further until July 2025, when he chased the Council for an update. The Council then issued its Stage Two response in August 2025.
- The time for receiving complaints is from when someone became aware of the matter they wished to complain about, not when they complained to the Council or it issued its final response. We would expect someone to complain to us within a year, even if they were dissatisfied with the time the complaints procedure was taking.
- I will not investigate this complaint because it is a late complaint. I acknowledge the Council did not always respond to Mr X in time, but I am not satisfied this is a good enough reason for Mr X not to have raised the matter with us earlier and certainly within 12 months of the concern arising.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it was a late complaint and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman