Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council installing a sign outside the complainant’s home. There is not enough evidence of fault that would justify investigation by the Ombudsman.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council put up a sign outside her house without consultation. She said the sign was adjacent to her wall and may impact the value of her property. She would like the Council to remove the sign, or move it to a different location.

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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), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council’s complaint response.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X noticed the Council had put up a shared cycleway road highway sign outside her property in 2025. She complained to the Council about the placement of the sign and how part of the sign overhung her front wall. Ms X questioned whether the sign was necessary because the shared cycleway had signage at the start and the end of the route.
6. In its complaint response, the Council noted that although it did not need permission to place signs on the public highway, it would try to accommodate residents’ wishes and concerns about signage. It said it had adjusted the sign so that it no longer encroached Ms X’s front wall.
7. The Council also clarified the sign was required to help alert passengers alighting from buses at a nearby bus stop to the shared cycleway. It noted there had been a full consultation about the shared cycleway scheme before it was constructed.
8. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault. The Council responded to Ms X’s complaint, adjusted the sign so it did not encroach her property, and provided an explanation as to the sign’s necessity and location.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman