Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council responded to Ms X’s parking complaint. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating and we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council failed to acknowledge her complaint about an unsafe parking space outside her home. She said the matter has caused her stress and anxiety and felt her home is unsafe when her front door is regularly blocked by cars. She wanted the Council to install double yellow lines outside her property so her door and access are not blocked.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We 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. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation.

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

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. Ms X complained the Council did not properly consider her complaint about a parking space outside her home.
6. The Council informed Ms X it did not consider her correspondence as a formal complaint because it had already provided a detailed response to a service request in November 2025. The Council’s corporate complaints policy states that some matters will be considered as service requests rather than complaints.
7. We will not investigate this part of Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation. The Council responded to Ms X in line with its corporate complaints policy and provided a detailed response to her enquiry.
8. Ms X complained that a parking space outside her house was too small and this led to cars often blocking her front doorway.
9. In its response to Ms X, the Council explained there was no parking space outside her property, only H-bar access protection markings. The Council said that road markings on Ms X’s street had been refreshed in autumn 2025, with additional parking bays provided. It said it would monitor the impact of the new parking bays and then consider whether any additional parking controls were required in the area.
10. The Council explained the process required before any new parking restrictions could be introduced on Ms X’s road. This included a Traffic Regulation Order and public consultation.
11. Ms X complained the Council had not considered her needs in line with the Equality Act 2010. In its response, the Council noted the Equality Act did not impose a blanket obligation to alter the physical features of highways to aid access to a privately owned property.
12. We will not investigate this part of Ms X’s complaint because we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation. The Council explained the action it had taken by repainting the road markings on Ms X’s street and adding additional parking bays. It said it would monitor the impact on parking and then consider whether additional parking controls were needed. It also explained the process it would need to follow if it were to introduce additional parking controls.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating and we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman