Annual complaints report 2025-2026

Housing Service

• Rent and direct debit controls strengthened, including extra checks, spreadsheet/list updates and migration of service charge accounts to NEC to reduce payment errors.
• Communication and case handling improved through reminders to acknowledge and reply to emails, route leaseholder enquiries correctly, record tenant and advocate interactions, provide customer communication guidance and apply the Aids & Adaptations Policy consistently.
• Operational processes reviewed, including mail-merge arrangements, communication of Occupational Therapy-recommended works to the Neighbourhoods Team, and enforcement of tenancy agreement breaches where required.
• Mears performance, quality, conduct and repair standards monitored through regular operational meetings, issue recording, surveyor oversight and toolbox talks.

Housing Strategy and Options

• Client communication improved by reviewing response methods, returning calls and messages promptly, and setting clear, realistic response expectations.
• Team support strengthened through one-to-one sessions, additional staff training, and Team Leader guidance to improve caseload management and the quality of client support

Building Control

• Salesforce templates introduced to automatically send Site Inspection Reports, with photographic evidence required during site inspections.
• Scheduled audits, surveyor training on customer care and conflict management, and further monitoring and quality-control measures introduced to improve on-site customer care

Planning

• Managers will monitor callback requests and team tasks more closely, with callback handling discussed during officer one-to-ones.
• Officers will use holding responses where needed, keep complainants updated, and receive training on cross-referencing application details to prevent future errors.

Parking

• Car park information updated across the website, Ring-GO and signage, with location checks completed to ensure accuracy and consistency with regulations.
• Off-Street Parking Orders will move to a map-based format, permit renewal training is being reinforced, and officer conduct expectations have been clarified.

Benefits

• The Compliance and Development Team will monitor phone calls to ensure customer service standards are consistently met and maintained.

• The engineering team is exploring alternative seawall repair techniques, including cold-applied materials and flexi-pave, to reduce lengthy tarmac repairs.

• The team has been reminded to work sensitively and vigilantly around graves and memorials to avoid damage when strimming long grass.
• Any accidental damage must be reported promptly so grave owners can be contacted and distress reduced.

• Internal handling procedures and system controls have been reviewed.
• Additional safeguards are being introduced, including changes to document publication processes and enhanced staff training on sensitive data handling.

• Further training will ensure all circumstances are fully considered before future decisions on recovering overpayments from deceased accounts.

24 017 995

Local Government & Social Care

Housing Strategy and Options

The complainant (Miss X) complains the Council wrongly assessed her level of priority for social housing. She says the Council failed to take into account her households medical needs. In summary, Miss X says this had a substantial and adverse impact on her and her son’s mental and emotional wellbeing. As a desired outcome, she wants the Council to give her greater priority for housing.

We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of the complainant’s priority for housing which allegedly failed to consider her households medical needs. This is because the Council’s housing decision carried a right of review and it would be reasonable for her to have requested this and completed the review process before bringing her complaint to the Ombudsman.

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

24 015 812

Local Government & Social Care

Council Tax and Benefits

Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to pay him housing benefit. Mr X says he is at risk of being evicted from his home due to the Council’s decision.

We will not investigate this complaint about a housing benefit decision. This is because it was reasonable for the complainant to use his appeal rights to the Social Entitlement Chamber which is the statutory tribunal set up to consider housing benefit appeals.  

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

24 022 999

Local Government & Social Care

Council Tax and Benefits

Mrs X complains that the Council charged her council tax for two different properties and requests a refund.

We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council overcharged her council tax account. This is because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

24 018 717

Local Government & Social Care

Housing Strategy and Options

Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his homelessness application. He says the Council has failed to provide support and forced him to move to unsuitable accommodation. He wants the Council to provide him with suitable social housing and compensate him for the distress caused.

We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his homelessness application. He has a right of review about the suitability of the accommodation offered and it is reasonable for him to use it. If he is dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, he can appeal to the county court.

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

25 004 639

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman 

Council Tax and Benefits

The complainant, Ms X, complains about a housing benefit overpayment which she does not think she should have to repay. She complains she was told she had not set up a payment plan when she had. Ms X asked the Council to reduce the overpayment and pay compensation.

We will not investigate this complaint about a housing benefit overpayment from 2021 and a recent error regarding a payment plan. This is because the complainant could have used her appeal rights and the Council has provided an appropriate response regarding the error.

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

24 019 188

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Planning

Mr X complained about how the Council handled several planning applications submitted by his neighbour. He specifically said the Council: -

• did not require the necessary ecological surveys to be completed;
• failed to consider land drainage and flood risk issues;
• accepted inaccurate and misleading applications and plans;
• did not properly assess the impact of the developments on his property, particularly in relation to loss of light and overshadowing;
• failed to assess the applications in line with relevant national planning guidance and regulations; and 
• disregarded his evidence during a planning committee meeting.

Mr X also complained about delays in the Council’s handling of his formal complaints.

He says that, as a result of the Council’s actions, the development has caused damage to his property and a significant loss of light to his garden.

Mr X complained about how the Council handled several planning applications submitted by his neighbour and the delay in its handling of his complaint. We find no fault in how the Council assessed or determined the planning applications, nor in its consideration of the objections raised by Mr X. 

However, we do find fault in the Council’s complaint handling which caused avoidable uncertainty and distress. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X.

Decision: Upheld 

To remedy the injustice caused by the above faults, within four weeks of the date of final decision, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X in line with our guidance on Making an effective apology.

23 020 136

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Private Sector Housing 

Ms X complains the Council:

• Placed her in unsuitable accommodation for a period of 5 years;
• Did not comply with the directions of the Ombudsman;
• Did not take proper enforcement action against her landlord in 2023 2023;
• Handled the investigation of her mite infestation poorly;
• Sent her threatening letters; and 
• Communicated with her poorly.

Ms X would like financial compensation for the impact on her health, and damage to her belongings, which she says is caused by the Council’s negligence.

We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s actions following previous direction by the Ombudsman. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault.

Decision: Not upheld

25 003 248

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Housing Strategy and Options

Mr X complained about the Council's decision that he made himself intentionally homeless and it therefore did not owe him a homelessness.

Mr X said this caused a negative physical and mental impact.

We will not investigate this complaint about the Council deciding Mr X is intentionally homeless. It was reasonable for him to use his appeal rights in court following the Council’s review of the decision.

Decision: Closed after initial enquiries

25 013 465

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Parking

Miss X says the Council wrongly issued her with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for an alleged parking contravention. Miss C says there were no markings or signs to indicate there were parking restrictions and she was not blocking a dropped kerb. Miss X says she paid the PCN at the discounted rate because she could not afford to risk the charge doubling. Miss X says the system which means a motorist pays double if they lose their appeal is flawed and extremely unfair.

We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it was reasonable for her to put in an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Status: Closed after initial enquiries

25 013 403

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Housing (Contractor)

Mr X complains that a Council contractor committed a data breach. He also complains about how he was spoken to when raising the matter and how the Council dealt with his complaint.

We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the ICO is better placed to consider his complaint about a data breach and other matter have not caused him a significant injustice.

Status: Closed after initial enquiries

25 005 559

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Planning

Mr X complains the Council ignored its own planning rules/policies when it approved an application which it had previously refused.

He wants the planning permission revoked.

We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council considered a planning application. We have not seen enough evidence of fault to warrant our involvement. Also, we cannot achieve the outcome the complainant is seeking.

Status:  Closed after initial enquiries

25 015 479

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Planning

Ms X lives near a site which has received planning permission for a development. She complains the Council:

• failed to properly consider the foul water strategy for the development or its traffic impacts;
• failed to present accurate information about the development’s impacts and surrounding area to the planning committee;
• granted permission for the development before there was a wastewater strategy in place;
• had the same officer reply to her complaint at two stages of the process.

Ms X is concerned about the effects of the development on the area.

We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s officers’ and its planning committee’s handling of an application for a development near her home, and how officers dealt with her complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault in the planning processes, nor sufficient significant personal injustice to Ms X caused by the matters complained of, to warrant investigation. We do not investigate councils’ complaint handling where we are not investigating the core issues which gave rise to the complaint.

Status:  Closed after initial enquiries

24 018 384 

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Private Sector Housing

Mrs Y complains about the Council failing to act when it received her reports about the condition of the property she privately rents; as a result, she and her children continue to live in mouldy and damp conditions.

We found no fault on Mrs Y’s complaint about the Council failing to act on her reports about the condition of the private accommodation she rents.

Decision: Not Upheld