Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s actions related to its bin collection service. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council’s bin collection service misplaced her green waste bin. She also complains about the Council’s handling of the matter. She wants it to provide a replacement bin.

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

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My assessment

5. The Council has evidenced it found Mrs X’s bin and returned it to her within one week of her contacting it.
6. I will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
7. It would not be a good use of public money to investigate the Council’s complaint handling in isolation.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman