Other miscellaneous : Caerphilly County Borough Council

Mr A, on behalf of a community centre management committee, complained about the Council’s handling of an application made to the Welsh Church Fund (“the Fund”), the lack of pre-application information available and the delay in drafting a lease which it was required to enter to avail of the Fund.

The Ombudsman was satisfied the evidence suggested that the Council was entitled to apply its own terms and conditions to administer the Fund and it had revised its website and application form. However, she agreed that there was an extensive delay in preparing the draft lease. She decided to settle the complaint.

She sought and obtained the Council’s agreement to apologise for the delay and waive the lease preparation fee, in recognition of the time and trouble cased to the management committee in pursuing the lease.