London Borough of Enfield (21 010 636)
Category : Transport and highways > Traffic management
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 25 Nov 2021
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to properly consult on a proposed traffic management scheme. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing the complainant a significant injustice.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I will call Miss X, complains that the Council did not properly consult on a proposed traffic management scheme in her local area. Mrs X says that the Council took two or three months to translate information about the scheme for her and her family
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:
- there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
- any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
- any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council planned to introduce a traffic management scheme close to the area Miss X lives. It started a period of consultation with residents in September 2020 and it was due to run until May 2021. Mrs X contacted the Council in late October and asked for information about the scheme to be translated for her family, for whom English is not their first language. Miss X says the Council too two to three months to provide the translated information.
- I will not investigate this complaint. This is because there is insufficient evidence that the delays translating the information caused Miss X or her family a significant injustice to warrant our involvement. The Council apologised to Miss X for the delay and she and her family still had several months in which to consider the proposals and provide comments.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the Council’s delay translating the information did not cause her or her family a significant injustice.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman