The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that a parish council was overcharged for a Council service. This is because we cannot investigate complaints made by public bodies such as parish councils.
The complaint
The complainant, who I will refer to as Mr B, complains on behalf of a parish council. Mr B complains that the Council did not invoice the parish council correctly for a service the Council provided. Mr B says the Council has not issued a refund to the parish council for the overpayment.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mr B.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr B complains on behalf of a parish council. We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies such as parish councils. This means we have no discretion to investigate this complaint.
Final decision
We cannot investigate this complaint because it is made by a public body.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman