Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about traffic flow around a junction. There is not enough evidence of significant injustice to Mr X which would warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council had failed to investigate his complaint about traffic flow at a junction he used where parked cars and side road traffic created recurring delays to his journeys, causing him frustration. Mr X said the arrangement also caused access problems for a neighbouring street. Mr X said the Council only considered his complaint from a safety perspective and dismissed it because there were no collisions at the junction, without properly considering the other problems.

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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 any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (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.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint as the matter complained about has not caused Mr X any personal injustice so serious it warrants an investigation. We do not investigate every complaint we receive, and we must focus our limited public resources on investigating those complaints where a person has suffered a significant personal injustice as a result of an alleged fault by a body in our jurisdiction. This is not the case here. If Mr X drives through this area regularly, any delay or concern he experiences will be frustrating. However, such frustration is not significant enough to warrant us devoting time and public money to investigating.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matter complained about has not caused him significant enough personal injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman