The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint by a parish council because we cannot investigate complaints made by public bodies.
The complaint
Mrs B complains on behalf of a parish council about the Council’s handling of planning applications for a housing development.
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 Mrs B.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mrs B complains on behalf of a parish council. We cannot investigate complaints made by public bodies such as parish councils. This means we cannot investigate this complaint and have no discretion to start an investigation.
Final decision
We cannot investigate this complaint because it has been made by a parish council which is a public body.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman