The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s waste bins being left at the end of the road following collection. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to warrant further investigation.
The complaint
Mr X complains about his waste bins being left at the end of the road following collection. He says this is about 20 metres from his property. He says it’s a nuisance having to deal with this. Mr X wants the Council to start putting his bins back outside his property.
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 provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
In the Council’s complaints response, it explained the collection of bins at the end of the road had been in place for years. It explained it considered the 20-metre distance to be the maximum distance allowed.
We do not investigate all complaints we receive. In deciding whether to investigate we need to consider various tests. These include the alleged injustice to the person complaining. We will normally only investigate a complaint where: the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by the service provider, or there are continuous and ongoing instances of a lower-level injustice that remain unresolved over a long period of time.
Mr X’s complaint does not meet the threshold. We will not investigate this complaint as any injustice is not significant enough to warrant further investigation.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to warrant further investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman