Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Ms X’s complaints about nuisance from a football park. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is no significant injustice, and we cannot achieve the outcome Ms X is seeking.

The complaint

1. Ms X said she told the Council on numerous occasions about nuisance she and her son experienced, because of a nearby football park. Ms X said her son lives with a disability and this caused her to be concerned about the impact on him. Ms X said the Council took too long to address her requests and she now wants compensation for the unnecessary stress she said the Council subjected her to.

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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, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(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 Ms X and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

4. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because any injustice is not a serious enough level to be significant enough to warrant an investigation. Ms X also wants compensation, and we do not award compensation, only the courts can.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman