The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about traffic management because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
The complaint
Mr Y complained the Council failed to consult properly on traffic calming measures in his area and advertised the consultation using an incorrect address and without details of the proposals. It also carried out a trial of the measures during the Covid-19 pandemic which Mr Y believes was misleading.
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. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information Mr Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss of injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
Mr Y may feel strongly about the issue, but he has not suffered a sufficiently significant personal injustice to warrant our investigation. His alleged injustice is not a serious loss, harm or distress which would justify use of public funds to investigate. Consequently, we will not investigate his complaint.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman