London Borough of Lewisham (24 009 114)
Category : Environment and regulation > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 13 Jan 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s report of an abandoned trailer in his locale. This is because an investigation will not usefully add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his report of an abandoned trailer in his locale which he asked to be removed.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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:
- we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
- further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council, including its response to the complaint.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X reported an abandoned trailer to the Council which he asked to be removed.
- In responding to his complaint about the time taken to address the matter, the Council acknowledged it had been at fault in dealing with the request and apologised for its error and the time the trailer had been on site. The trailer has now been removed by the Council.
- We do not investigate every complaint we receive and we will generally not investigate where an investigation will not usefully add to that already undertaken by the Council or lead to a significantly different outcome.
- There was fault by the Council which it has acknowledged and apologised for. The trailer has now been removed and there are insufficient grounds to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation will not usefully add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman