Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her request to move a streetlight. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council charged her for moving a streetlight; despite previously telling her the work would be free. She also complained it tried to charge her for a new vehicle crossover, although it later confirmed this was not necessary.
2. Miss X said this caused her distress and a loss of trust in the Council.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. In April 2023 Miss X bought a property where a streetlight obstructed the driveway. Miss X said the Council told her it could move the streetlight for free.
8. In May 2023, Miss X said the Council sent her an invoice for costs related to moving the streetlight. It also told her she would need to pay for a new vehicle crossover, because the existing crossover was not valid.
9. In June 2023, the Council accepted the existing crossover was valid and Miss X paid the costs for moving the streetlight. Miss X said she complained to the Council at this point.
10. Miss X said she did not receive a response and so raised a new complaint in September 2024. The Council responded at stage one in October 2024, but there appears to have been further delays in it responding at stage two, which was in October 2025.
11. Miss X complained to the Ombudsman in February 2026.
12. As outlined in paragraph four, we cannot accept late complaints without good reasons to do so. I have considered whether to exercise our discretion to investigate the complaint but have seen no good reasons to do so.
13. I acknowledge there appears to have been delays in the Council responding to Miss X at stage two of its complaint’s procedure. However, I cannot see any good reasons why Miss X could not have contacted the Ombudsman sooner.
14. At the point Miss X complained to us, I consider she had been aware of the matter for almost three years.
15. For this reason, we will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

16. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion to consider it now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman