Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s implementation of parking restrictions. This is because there is not significant enough personal injustice to justify investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has not implemented the parking restrictions required following the opening of a school. He says this has resulted in extra parking around the school and is dangerous for residents and children in the area.

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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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
6. Mr X says the Council has only partially implemented the parking restrictions; the road markings and signs are in place, but the cameras are not. He says this has led to increased parking and he is personally impacted as he uses the roads around the school on a regular basis. He has not given more details of the extent of this personal impact, despite us asking. I appreciate Mr X might sometimes experience some delay or inconvenience when using the roads around the school. I do not, however, consider that a significant enough injustice to warrant the Ombudsman devoting time and public money to investigating the complaint.
7. Mr X also described his safety concerns for residents and school children. This does not amount to significant enough personal injustice to Mr X for us to investigate.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not significant enough personal injustice to justify investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman