London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (24 016 332)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 31 Jan 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s administration of a parking permit renewal and the issuing of a penalty charge notice as these matters are now resolved and there is insufficient remaining injustice caused to the complainant to justify our further action.
The complaint
- Miss X complains the Council issued her with a parking penalty charge notice (PCN) even though she had paid to renew her parking permit. Miss X had to make a second renewal payment and complains the Council did not cancel the PCN when she challenged it. Miss X says this has caused her distress.
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 any remaining injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (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.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X was issued with a parking PCN a week after she had renewed her parking permit online with the Council.
- In its complaint response to Miss X, the Council acknowledged that due to a technical glitch, Miss X’s renewal payment was taken but her permit was not renewed. Miss X’s challenge to the PCN was rejected as the Council’s system at that time did not show a valid parking permit to be in place.
- The Council has apologised for its errors. It has refunded the second payment Miss X made for the permit and cancelled the PCN.
- As the Council has rectified this issue and apologised, I do not consider there is sufficient remaining injustice caused to Miss X to justify our further action and as such we will not investigate.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is insufficient remaining injustice caused to her to justify our further involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman