Plymouth City Council (26 001 588)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 06 Sep 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal of his disabled parking bay application. This is because I am satisfied with the actions the Council proposes to take.
The complaint
- Mrs Y complains on behalf of her relative, Mr X. She complains about the Council’s refusal of Mr X’s disabled parking bay application.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mrs Y and the Council.
- I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council refused Mr X’s disabled parking bay application because he is not the driver of the vehicle. This is line with its disabled parking bay policy. Mrs Y complains the policy does not allow the Council to properly consider Mr X’s circumstances as a non-driver applicant.
- Since Mrs Y complained to us, the Council has agreed to explore introducing mobility assessments for some non-driver applicants. It has contacted Mr X about this and offered him a face-to-face mobility assessment. The Council says that, once it receives Mr X’s response, it will arrange the assessment.
- I am satisfied with the action the Council proposes to take. This may result in changes to its policy and eligibility criteria for non-driver applications. The Council may also make a new decision about Mr X’s eligibility for a disabled parking bay following its assessment. It is therefore premature for us to investigate the complaint while the Council is still taking this action. If Mr X remains dissatisfied after the Council has completed its assessment and made a new decision, he may complain to us again.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because I am satisfied with the actions the Council has proposed to take.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman