London Borough of Tower Hamlets (25 011 751)
Category : Transport and highways > Traffic management
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 21 Jan 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council consulted over a traffic management order. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complained about the Council’s planned traffic management order and how it consulted about its plan.
- Mr X wants the Council to do more to implement his suggestions and to ensure residents are fully engaged with the consultation.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The procedures for creating or altering a traffic management order (TMO) are set out in the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.
- Regulation 7 requires councils to ‘take such steps as it may consider appropriate’ to ensure adequate publicity. This may include directly telling people the council thinks may be affected, but this is not a requirement.
- Mr X contacted the Council and provided his objections to its proposed TMO.
- The Council has responded to confirm his suggestions have been considered and may inform the Council’s review at a later stage.
- Although Mr X does not feel the Council has done enough in response to his suggestions, the Council is entitled to make the decision it has made. It is not required to act on Mr X’s suggestions.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence the Council is at fault.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman