Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the cumulative impact of traffic reduction and parking schemes in his area. There is insufficient evidence of fault and we could not achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has failed to assess the cumulative impact of several traffic reduction and parking schemes in his area. He says the combination of schemes is significantly reducing his ability to park near his home and causing inconvenience.
2. He wants the Council to carry out a cumulative impact assessment, review its approach to enforcement and review the fairness of its approach to traffic reduction and parking schemes.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

4. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), 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 its complaint response, the Council said it had recently introduced a School Streets scheme in his area, to restrict parking on streets next to a school at the beginning and end of the school day. It said the legal framework for the scheme was an Experimental Traffic Order which came into force in September 2025. It said School Streets schemes were part of its wider transport strategy.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. The Introduction of School Street schemes is part of the Council’s transport policy and the scheme was introduced following the granting of an Experimental Traffic Order. This is the process we would expect councils to follow. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the decision to implement this scheme to warrant an investigation.
9. Although Mr X wants the Council to carry out a cumulative impact assessment of the traffic reduction and parking schemes in his area, there is no requirement for the Council to do this. It is for the Council to decide what assessments it completes and what data it gathers to inform its transport and parking strategy and decision making. The Council’s current transport strategy has been in place since 2020 and includes a variety of schemes to reduce pollution from traffic and encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport. We could not require the Council to complete a cumulative impact assessment and so could not achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault and we could not achieve what he wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman