Ms X complained about the time taken for the Council to put in place a new management agreement at a gypsy traveller site and to reimburse residents’ costs incurred for routine maintenance. Concerns were also raised about the delay in repositioning a sound barrier and the Council’s statement that officers would not deal directly with residents if allegations of racism were made.
Although the evidence suggested that the Council had been acting to address the situation, the Ombudsman was concerned that these matters had been ongoing for some time. Certain issues were out of time for consideration and others had been resolved. The Council said that officers had found the persistent allegations of racism highly offensive but had not ended direct contact. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint.
He sought and gained the Council’s agreement to provide a new draft management agreement to the residents and reimburse their outstanding costs by 31 January 2022.