The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about not being provided waste sacks by the Council. Any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
The complaint
Mr X complained the Council did not provide him with waste and recycling sacks for the year 2024-2025. He said because of this his waste is not collected and this is an environmental hazard. Mr X wants the Council to change the way it delivers this service.
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 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))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr X’s substantive complaint was the Council had not delivered his annual rubbish and recycling residual waste sacks for this year. The Council’s reply to Mr X said it had checked with the supplier and it believed his waste sacks had been delivered. Mr X disputed this.
It is our decision whether to start an investigation into something the law allows us to investigate. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter. There is nothing to suggest the Council’s actions have caused Mr X a significant injustice.
Mr X also wanted the Council to change how it delivers this service and we would not be able to achieve this as an outcome.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman