Ms A complained that the Council had not responded or kept her informed about her complaint relating to development by her neighbour without planning permission, which impacted on her privacy. She wanted the Council to consider taking enforcement action for the unauthorised development.
Whilst noting that his jurisdiction did not enable him to force the Council to take enforcement action (which is a discretionary decision), the Ombudsman was concerned about the delay in responding to Ms A’s complaint and a failure to update and communicate with her.
The Council agreed to the Ombudsman’s proposal for settlement of the complaint, as an alternative to investigation. It agreed to provide Ms A with an update on her complaint by 12 November 2021, with an apology for the delay.