Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his vehicle crossover application. This is because the Council has now approved Mr B’s application and an investigation is unlikely to add to the action already undertaken by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains the Council took too long to decide his vehicle crossover application and he had to chase the Council for a response. Mr B also says the decision letter did not fully explain the reasons for the decision and he was unable to speak directly to the team which made this decision. Mr B says it was only after he pursued a formal complaint that the Council approved his application. Mr B would like the Council to improve its processes for vehicle crossover applications.

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 an investigation if we decide 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 B.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. After Mr B complained to the Council, the Council looked at his application again and granted approval for a vehicle crossover. This is the outcome Mr B wanted when he complained to the Council. The Council has also apologised for its delay telling Mr B its initial decision, and for how it initially responded to Mr B’s complaint.
6. The Council’s actions have put right the main injustice suffered by Mr B because of the alleged fault.
7. An investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to significantly add to the action already undertaken by the Council. And, we would not normally start an investigation solely into a council’s processes if, as with this complaint, the alleged fault has largely been put right under a council’s complaints procedure.
8. So, we will not investigate this complaint.

Back to top

Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because an investigation would not achieve a meaningful outcome.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman