Cleansing/public conveniences/streets etc : Cardiff Council

Ms S complained that Cardiff Council had failed to maintain a gated garden area located directly in front of her windows. She further complained that there had been a breakdown in communication with the Council, and it had failed to respond to her most recent complaint.

The Ombudsman concluded that there had been a significant delay by the Council to resolve Ms S’ concerns and found that the Council had failed to respond to Ms S’s most recent complaint. She said this caused unnecessary frustration to Ms S and decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.

As an alternative to an investigation, the Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to, within 4 weeks, apologise to Ms S for the delays, provide her with a complaint response and offer her financial redress of £250.

The Council also agreed to schedule the Land and Asset Team to attend Ms S’s property and furthermore, to eliminate any future issues arising, the Council agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence that the maintenance plan agreed to in a previous case is being adhered to for the next 6 months.