The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about information the Council gave regarding parking permits. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
The complaint
Ms X complained the Council gave her incorrect information about resident parking permits and blue badge bay permits. Ms X says she has spent £200 in total on parking permits which she now believes she did not need. Ms X wants the Council to refund the money spent on parking permits.
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 provided by the complainant.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X is a Blue Badge holder and has a Blue Badge parking bay outside her home. Ms X received a parking fine while parked in the parking bay outside her home because of not displaying her blue badge. The Council advised Ms X she could get a Blue Badge parking bay permit free confirming she could park there.
Ms X asked the Council to exchange her paid parking permit for the free Blue Badge parking permit. The Council explained that the Blue Badge permit was only valid in Blue Badge bays, not resident permit bays, and asked whether she still wanted to return her paid permit and receive a refund.
Ms X confirmed she would keep her paid parking permit in case the Blue Badge bays were full and also use the free Blue Badge permit she was entitled to. She explained this would allow her to take her Blue Badge when travelling in another car while retaining a permit for parking in resident permit bays with her own car.
Ms X said a neighbour later told her she could use her Blue Badge to park her car in a resident permit bay and did not need a paid permit. Ms X felt she was given the wrong advice by the Council and asked for money she had paid out on permits to be refunded. The Council refused.
We will not investigate this complaint. I have reviewed the Council’s response to Ms X and found it confirms the Council explained the limitations of the free Blue Badge permit only, enabling her to make an informed decision about whether to retain her paid permit. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to justify an investigation.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman