Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision with respect to her town’s bus service and the funding it has allocated. This is because we have no jurisdiction to investigate complaints from public bodies.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council’s decision with respect to her town’s bus service and the funding it has allocated. She says the Council failed to implement the bus service improvement plan satisfactorily and followed a flawed and biased consultation process.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. Miss X is a Parish council clerk.
6. We can only consider complaints made by a member of the public who claims injustice. In this case, I am not satisfied Miss X is complaining as a member of the public. Instead, the complaint documents suggest Miss X is complaining in her official capacity on behalf of a public body, the parish council.
7. Therefore, we have no jurisdiction to investigate this complaint

Back to top

Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because we have no jurisdiction to investigate complaints from public bodies.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman