Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision about Mr X’s eligibility for a parking permit. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault and further investigation wouldn’t lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council assessed his eligibility for a parking permit incorrectly.
2. Mr X said that it has caused stress, anxiety and placed an unfair burden on his household.
3. Mr X would like the Council to review its policy, provide a parking permit or offer an alternative solution.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome

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

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

7. Mr X complains the Council did not correctly assess his household’s eligibility for an additional visitor parking permit.
8. The Council provides a one stage complaints process which Mr X completed.
9. The Council has a process in place for residents to apply for permits depending on the need of the resident and household. In its correspondence with Mr X, the Council explained their policy limited the number of visitor parking permits to one per household. As Mr X already had a visitor permit, it could not give him a second visitor permit. The Council advised Mr X that it could review his application for a second visitor permit after three months, once it had assessed the implementation of the new parking zone.
10. We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault. The Council applied its policy of one visitor parking permit for household and explained this to Mr X.
11. Additionally, we will not investigate this complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. The Council have offered to review Mr X’s application after three months.

Back to top

Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman