Mrs A complained that Cardiff Council (“the Council”) had, without prior warning, removed trees to the rear of her property, which detrimentally affected her privacy.
She was also concerned that lights on the complex to the rear of her property were on constantly throughout the night and, since the removal of the trees, were too bright and disturbed her sleep.
The Ombudsman was of the view that the Council was entitled to remove the trees from its land without firstly warning Mrs A.
The Ombudsman was, however, concerned that Mrs A’s complaint about the impact of the lights should have been considered and investigated by the Council as a potential statutory nuisance. She said the failure to do so amounted to maladministration and was an injustice to Mrs A.
To resolve Mrs A’s complaint regarding the lights, the Council agreed to apologise to her for that failing and to investigate her concern about the lights as a potential statutory light nuisance (light pollution) and to proceed as appropriate following that investigation. The Council agreed to take those steps within 2 months.