Local Government Ombudsman
Depending on how things go in the current kerfuffle with the council, it's worth remembering that there is a higher authority to appeal to - www.lgo.org.uk should a complaint not receive a satisfactory response. In a recent Private Eye the "Rotten Boroughs" section had an article about Sheffield City Council's infamous tree-destruction spree a while back. A bit like the Staveley Road closure the council staged a dawn raid to remove eight trees when they had provided assurances to a resident that only one would go. The resident (who sadly has since died) complained to the Local Government Ombudsman who found in his favour. The adjudication said:"This case highlights the imperative for councils to act with honesty, openness and transparency - without this people can lose faith in their integrity and not trust they are doing the right thing."I note that of cases involving Hounslow that have been referred to the ombudsman 75% have been upheld.
Bruce Hammal ● 2167d13 Comments