Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (26 006 913)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 23 Jun 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Ms B’s complaint about a parking refund. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault. And, the alleged fault has not caused Ms B a significant injustice.
The complaint
- Ms B complains she paid £3.30 for parking at a Council car park at a time when parking is free. Ms B says neither the parking app nor the signage in this location made it clear that parking is free after 6pm. Ms B says the Council has wrongly refused to refund the £3.30 she spent on parking.
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 an investigation if we decide:
- there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
- any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Ms B including photographs of the signage at the car park.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- We will not investigate this complaint.
- The information indicates the signage in this location makes it clear that parking charges end at 6pm. It is reasonable for the Council to expect users of the car park to read these signs before paying for parking, whether by app or machine.
- And, Ms B has not suffered a significant injustice which would justify public money being spent on an investigation into the information shown on the parking app for this location.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault. And, the alleged fault has not caused Ms B a significant injustice.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman