Bristol City Council (24 008 451)

Statement Upheld Enforcement 02-Apr-2025

Summary: Mr B complained that the Council did not correctly consider an application to vary conditions in a previously granted planning permission. We found the Council at fault. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr B in recognition of the injustice caused.

Bristol City Council (24 023 049)

Statement Upheld Parking and other penalties 19-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s conduct while dealing with her appeal against a penalty charge notice. This is because the Council has apologised and offered a suitable remedy for the injustice its actions caused Mrs X.

Bristol City Council (24 019 205)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 20-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint the Council placed her in unsuitable temporary accommodation. This is because the Council agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.

Bristol City Council (24 012 672)

Statement Upheld Charging 27-May-2025

Summary: The Council was at fault as it did not respond to Mr X’s official complaint and has not properly assessed some of the Disability Related Expenses incurred by his mother when calculating her contribution to care costs. Reassessing the Disability Related Expenses and making a payment for the distress caused by the delay in the complaints process remedies the injustice.

Bristol City Council (24 002 666)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 30-Jun-2025

Summary: Miss Y complained that delays in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment and planning process meant that her son did not receive the education he was entitled to. The delays were, in part, caused by a shortage of Educational Psychologists. The Council has agreed to pay £400 to Miss Y in recognition of the delay and a further £900 for D’s benefit. The Council will also arrange the proposed catch-up provision and explain the steps it is taking to improve the timeliness of EHC needs assessments.

Bristol City Council (25 002 921)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 04-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complains the Council has delayed implementing the recommendations of a previous Ombudsman’s investigation. The Council delayed implementing recommendations of a previous Ombudsman investigation. Miss X suffered delay and uncertainty. The Council says it will pay Miss X a further £250, provide guidance to staff and review its processes. This is an appropriate remedy.

Bristol City Council (24 007 483)

Statement Upheld Planning applications 13-Aug-2025

Summary: Mr B complained about the process followed by the Council when it gave planning permission for a house behind a listed terrace where he lives. We upheld the complaint, finding the Council’s planning committee did not follow its published procedure after it initially refused to support the planning application. We also found the Council at fault for delay in answering Mr B’s complaint. We considered these faults caused injustice, although we could not say the outcome of the planning application would have been different. The Council has accepted these findings and at the end of this statement, we set out the action it has agreed to remedy that injustice and to avoid a repeat.

Bristol City Council (24 015 611)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Sep-2025

Summary: Ms X complained that the Council did not put in place all the special educational provision in her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. We have found the Council was at fault for delaying putting in place the special educational provision. This meant Ms X’s child has not received the support they should have. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X and carry out a service improvement.

Bristol City Council (24 014 540)

Statement Upheld Noise 29-Sep-2025

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to act properly when it assessed noise coming from a sports club close to his home. We find the Council to be at fault. The Council did not properly consider Mr X’s complaint. It failed to make a proper assessment of the noise. It should re-assess the noise and take the appropriate action, should a statutory nuisance be found.

Bristol City Council (24 023 264)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 29-Sep-2025

Summary: The Council offered Miss B unsuitable accommodation and did not fully take into account her disability, nor act quickly enough when she did not feel safe at her interim accommodation. This meant that Miss B spent time in inaccessible accommodation, and was left distressed, uncertain, and frustrated. The Council will apologise to Miss B, make a payment to her, and review how it records information about accessible interim accommodation.