Can the Ombudsman help?
• In a few cases, yes. There are some matters we cannot look at by law. We cannot deal with a complaint that affects all or most people living within the council area. By “most”, we mean the majority of people living in the area. Many decisions that a council takes about its parks, gardens and sports grounds are likely to fall into this category. We would not, for example, consider a matter where the person complaining felt that a particular council project was a “waste of public money”. • The law also says that we cannot investigate matters which relate to contractual or commercial transactions. This includes complaints about the provision of entertainment such as, for example, complaints about the performance of a play in memorial gardens or a festival in a local park. • You can complain to the Ombudsman if the circumstances particularly affect you, above and beyond what the general public might suffer, and you live close by or use the park, garden or sports facility on a very regula
