Your neighbour's planning application This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have concerns about the council approving a neighbour’s planning application and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I am unhappy about the council’s decision to grant planning permission to my neighbour. Can the Ombudsman help me? Yes, in some circumstances. The law doesn’t allow you to app ...

Discretionary Housing Payments This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have problems with a claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can also consider some complaints about housing benefit – see our separate fact sheet on this. Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit. The Ombudsman cannot deal ...

Footpaths and rights of way This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have problems related to footpaths and rights of way that they regularly use, or which cross their property, and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. Rights of way can include footpaths, bridleways and byways open to all traffic. I am unhappy about the way the council is dealing with a disputed foo ...

Council tax This fact sheet is aimed chiefly at anyone who is experiencing problems with their council tax account and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with my council tax. Can the Ombudsman help me? Sometimes, yes. But there are some matters the law does not allow us to look at: We cannot deal with a complaint about something that affects nearly everyone l ...

Bus stops and shelters This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have concerns about the council’s (or, in London, Transport for London's) actions in respect of local bus stops and shelters and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with decisions the council has made about our local bus stops and shelters. Can the Ombudsman help me? In a few cases, yes. T ...

Community Infrastructure Levy This fact sheet is aimed primarily at planning applicants who have concerns about the way the council has dealt with the Community Infrastructure Levy in relation to their planning application and is considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with the Community Infrastructure Levy. Can the Ombudsman help me? Sometimes, yes. But there are some m ...

Libraries This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who are unhappy with issues about the way the council is administering its library services and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I think there is something wrong in the way the council is providing the library service in my area. Can the Ombudsman help me? Yes, in certain circumstances. Your local council is responsible ...

Housing adaptations for people with disabilities This fact sheet is for people with disabilities (or someone caring for them) who are experiencing problems with adaptation to their home and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with adaptations to my home to make it suitable for me. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. By law the council may be respons ...

Publicising planning applications This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who believe that the council has failed to advise them of a planning application that may affect them and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. The council did not tell me about a planning application. Can the Ombudsman help me? Yes, in some circumstances. If you believe that the council failed to tel ...

Planning enforcement This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who believe the council should be taking enforcement action against a nearby development and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I think there has been a breach of planning control near my property and the council has not taken enforcement action. Can the Ombudsman help me? Yes. We usually investigate complaints ...