Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council handled her application for a dropped kerb because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains about how the Council handled her application for a dropped kerb. She says the Council gave her inaccurate information which meant she incurred significantly higher costs.

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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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome (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 the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X applied for a dropped kerb. The Council gave her a quote in April 2024. Mrs X says she sent a query about discount for blue badge holders, and the Council did not reply until November. She says it confirmed the original quote, and in the email said she had until August 2025 to pay.
6. In July 2025, the Council said the quote had expired and gave her a new higher quote for the works. Mrs X paid for the work.
7. Mrs X complained to the Council that the email with the original quote stated she had until August to pay. The Council agreed and apologised. It said the letter contained the correct information – that Mrs X had two months to pay.
8. Mrs X asked the Council to honour its original quote. The Council considered her request and said it could not because of a rise in material and labour costs. It said the original quote had expired with the contractor.
9. I will not investigate this complaint. The Ombudsman is not an appeal body. This means we do not take a second look at a decision to decide if it was wrong. Instead, we look at the processes an organisation followed to make its decision.
10. I have considered the steps the Council took to consider the issue, and the information it took account of when deciding not to refund the difference between the quotes. There is no fault in how it made the decision. Therefore, I cannot question whether that decision was right or wrong.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman