Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices. The Council has now cancelled them and there is nothing more we could achieve by investigating the matter further.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) he received for parking without a required resident’s permit. Mr X says the Council wrongly issued the PCNs while he was waiting for his new permit. Mr X wants the Council to cancel the PCNs and review its complaint procedures.

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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 we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation (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 Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Since Mr X made his complaint to us, the Council has written to him to confirm it has cancelled the PCNs. Given this is the outcome Mr X was seeking by complaining to us, there is nothing more we could achieve by investigating this matter now.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has now provided the outcome he was seeking.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman