“The Local Government Ombudsman looks at complaints about councils” is how
they introduce their website.
Contrary to what you might imagine from the existence of this website, I have
made only one complaint about Bexley council in the 24 years I have lived in the
borough, and my enquiries to Bexley council have averaged far fewer than one per annum. However the
consistent result is that they don’t reply unless put under enormous
pressure. This is probably because I only enquire about things where the
mismanagement and incompetence appears to have no excuse whatever and the fact
that they don’t seem to have answers tends to confirm that suspicion. Sometimes
the L.G.O. may be the solution.
My experience was that a telephone call to 0300 061 0614 met with a helpful and
sympathetic response. The adviser was most interested in the total failure to
acknowledge an enquiry after four weeks of reminders and told me to ensure that the council knew that I was making a
formal complaint and to wait three months before informing the L.G.O. of the
result. I was given a four digit reference number and I formally advised Bexley’s Chief
Executive of my complaint. The threat of the Ombudsman was enough to rouse even the
normally mute Andrew Bashford from his slumbers. Unfortunately the Transport
Research Laboratory to which I sent his reply said it was “meaningless”, but
that is another story.
Whilst my experience with the L.G.O. was reasonably positive there is plenty
of evidence on the web to suggest they are nothing but a cosy cartel in league
with the corrupt councils they are meant to protect us from. A good place to
learn about L.G.O. malpractice is
Ombudsman Watch.
See also
busheywood.com and the
lgo blog which exposes the L.G.O. as yet another corrupt quango. Worst of
all is perhaps
rottenborough.org from which you can download the document which the L.G.O.
issues to councils to advise them on how to silence complainers.
September 2009