Derby City Council (25 030 397)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 14 Jul 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about parking provision. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
The complaint
- Mr X complained that the Council’s electronic parking system did not consider his lack of internet connection.
- Mr X said it caused him distress.
- Mr X wants the Council to consider a system that is not reliant on internet connectivity. Also that it completes an equality act assessment and take into account his disability.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council operates both an electronic and paper system for visitor parking permits. The electronic system requires users to have an internet connection. Mr X complained to the Council the system did not consider his lack of internet connectivity. He also said it did not have regard to the Equality Act 2010.
- In its complaint response, the Council told Mr X it could not identify an issue with internet connectivity in his area. It set out the terms of its parking system and acknowledged that due to an error with the online parking permits, paper visitor parking permits had been more expensive than the online permits. The Council cancelled several of Mr X’s penalty charge notices (PCN). It also made a meaningful apology and provided Mr X with paper visitor permits as a gesture of goodwill.
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. The Council apologised for issues Mr X had with visitor permits, explained the terms of its electronic and paper permits, cancelled several PCNs and provided paper permits.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman