Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in dealing with unauthorised parking. The complainant has not suffered a significant personal injustice because of the alleged fault.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council is not consistently taking enforcement action against people who park without a permit on his estate.
2. He feels he was treated unfairly and has received more Parking Charge Notices than others.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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 any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. I appreciate Mr X feels he received more fines, when he did not have a parking permit, than others are now receiving. However, we will not investigate his complaint. 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 Council. Whether other people should be receiving more enforcement action does not lead to a personal injustice to Mr X and as such we will not investigate the matter further.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he has not suffered a significant personal injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman