Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a Penalty Charge Notice. The Council has agreed to refund the charge, and we could not achieve a worthwhile outcome by investigating.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). He says the Council has delayed refunding the PCN charge. He wants the Council to refund the charge and provide compensation.

Back to top

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, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. In 2022, the Council issued Mr X with a PCN. Mr X paid the Council £549 when the Council sent it to enforcement agents to prevent his car being clamped and removed. Mr X says the Council has not refunded the full £549 he paid. He also says the Council has communicated badly.
6. Mr X filed a witness statement with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC), which ruled in his favour in May 2024. He asked the Council to refund the £549 he had paid for the PCN and enforcement action.
7. In June 2025, the Council refunded £420 and provided a remedy of £150 for the delay. It said it would issue a new Notice to Owner form. It did not refund the outstanding £129 PCN charge. Mr X asked the Council to refund the outstanding charge, but the Council did not respond.
8. The Council has agreed to refund the charge and issue a new Notice to Owner. It has also provided a remedy of £150 to recognise the delay, which is in line with our Guidance on Remedies. Once it refunds the outstanding charge, this will provide a sufficient remedy for the complaint. Therefore, we could not achieve anything further for Mr X by investigating. We will not investigate this complaint.

Back to top

Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint because the Council has agreed to refund the PCN and we could not achieve a worthwhile outcome for Mr X.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman