Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the information provided by the Council concerning changes to its handling of parking permit renewal applications. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council did not warn him that he would not be able to renew his parking permit within the normal seven-day grace period following its expiry. His parking permit has now expired and Mr X has been placed on the waiting list for a new permit with no guarantee of how long it will take to reach the top. He is therefore unable to continue to park as he could previously and faces the possibility of fines if he does. He wants the Council to issue him a new parking permit and update its website to provide clearer information to members of the public.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

4. The Council wrote to parking permit holders in early 2026 explaining that it had allocated all available permits for several parking zones and would therefore introduce a new waiting list for any further applications for these zones made after 9 February 2026.
5. Mr X contacted the Council to renew his permit on 18 June 2026 but his permit had already expired; the Council therefore placed him on the waiting list.
6. Mr X confirms he received the Council’s letter but says it failed to explain that renewal applications were not subject to the usual ‘grace period’ which allows permit holders to apply to renew their permits up to seven days after they expire.
7. Mr X appears to have conflated the Council’s grace period with its permit renewal and waiting list policies. While the Council does operate a grace period, this allows permit holders to continue to park for up to seven days after the permit has expired, as long as the permit holder has submitted their renewal application in accordance with the terms of the permit. The Council separately allows applications to renew expired permits for up to six weeks after the expiry of the current permit but its website clearly states this allowance does not apply in waiting list zones.
8. I appreciate Mr X considers the Council’s letter was not clear about this point but he has provided a copy of the letter and this states “If you allow your permit to expire, you will be required to join the permit waiting list. Waiting lists are managed strictly in the order applications are received." I am therefore satisfied the Council made clear that renewal applications made after the expiry of the current permit would be placed on the waiting list rather than renewed immediately, and that is what has happened here.
9. In the circumstances there is enough evidence of fault to investigate this matter further.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman