The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about parking permit charges because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.
The complaint
Mr Y complained the Council has increased the annual cost of his parking permit from £119 to £266. Mr Y says he cannot afford the increase and feels it is only to gather money.
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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information Mr Y and the Council provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
The Council decided in October 2024 to introduce a new charging structure for parking permits. Parking permit prices would, under the new charging structure, be determined by the type of vehicle and its level of emissions. As a result, the charge for a new parking permit for Mr Y’s vehicle had increased to £266. Mr Y complained to the Council about this, saying his vehicle was compliant with standards set for the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The Council responded, explaining the change and that this had been consulted on with residents. As Mr Y remained dissatisfied with this, so he approached us.
The Council has made its charging structure available on its website. It also provides different methods of payment, monthly, six-monthly and annually to help spread the cost of permits for residents. Mr Y has the choice to buy a permit if he wishes, using any of the payment patterns. As the charges are in line with the Council’s policy for parking permits and this has been applied to give Mr Y the price for his vehicle, there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. We will not investigate.
Final decision
We will not investigate Miss Y’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman