Mr C complained about failings in the Council’s handling of his noise complaints against a neighbouring premises since 2020. Matters occurring before February 2020 were deemed to be out of time to raise a complaint with the Ombudsman’s office, but issues occurring since February 2023were considered to have been made within time. This included a complaint that the Council had failed to proceed with a proposed legal action relating to breaches of a noise abatement notice served on the premises in 2018 and had not taken appropriate action since the failing was identified.
The assessment of this complaint established that the Council had already apologised for the stalled legal action and identified the cause being a failure to appropriately follow up progress of the case when an existing staff member left. As the noise complaint was an ongoing issue, it was also taking steps to progress action to address the noise nuisance going forward. However, it was not clear that the Council had addressed the cause of the failings by taking action to prevent a similar error occurring in the future, or considered any financial redress for the distress, time and trouble caused to Mr C.
The Council agreed to offer a financial redress payment of £250 within 4 weeks. It also agreed, within 8 weeks, to set up an internal process/procedure relating to the handling and progressing of noise complaints, to incorporate relevant follow up actions within appropriate timeframes, when necessary. The Ombudsman considered this to represent an appropriate outcome and closed the case on this basis.