Unfair admin fees help

Voyager2002

To answer the specific question: when a public body misbehaves you can be helped by what is called the Parliamentary Ombudsman. The only way this service can get involved is if your MP agrees to refer the matter to them, so you would need to contact your MP.

Since this is a matter for Local rather than national government, your first step should be to contact the local councillor who represents you. (And be careful because there are District, Town, Borough and County Councils so identify which of these tiers is responsible for planning services at the address of your property.) The councillor may be able to do something, or perhaps refer you to a more appropriate ombudsman service.

And do not make your complaint about admin fees: your issue is that the council did not deliver the service for which you paid within a six-month period, and has not even given a full refund of the fee you paid.

eddddy

Maybe start by checking the terms of the contract that you entered into with the council.

See if the council have breached the terms of the contract, and/or see what the refund terms are.


As an example of refund terms, here's an extract from the t&cs of a random council:

i. Refund of charges on cancellation of an application is at the discretion of the Building Control and Quality Place Making Manager. Any refund will take into account hours spent by surveyors and administration to the point of cancellations and a minimum of £40 will be retained

Link: https://www.ashford.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/ashford-building-control/building-control-forms-and-fees/building-control-fees/

You may still want to argue that some terms in the contract are unfair - but knowing what the contract terms are is a good starting point.

Fosterdog

Voyager2002 wrote: »

To answer the specific question: when a public body misbehaves you can be helped by what is called the Parliamentary Ombudsman. The only way this service can get involved is if your MP agrees to refer the matter to them, so you would need to contact your MP.

Since this is a matter for Local rather than national government, your first step should be to contact the local councillor who represents you. (And be careful because there are District, Town, Borough and County Councils so identify which of these tiers is responsible for planning services at the address of your property.) The councillor may be able to do something, or perhaps refer you to a more appropriate ombudsman service.

And do not make your complaint about admin fees: your issue is that the council did not deliver the service for which you paid within a six-month period, and has not even given a full refund of the fee you paid.

All of that would be a complete waste of OPs time. There is a set way of dealing with these sort of complaints with the local authority.

It is as simple as following their complaints proceadure, starting at the bottom and only escalating each stage if it is needed. If it gets to the eight week mark or you get a response from them that would be classed as a deadlock letter you can then escalate to the Local Government Omubudsman.

Yes it can take several weeks to go through the whole process but it’s not a difficult process to follow at all.

sheramber

Could the council have called and the tenant didn't let them in and didn't let you know someone had called?

When we waiting for them to inspect work on our house they didn't advise us when they would call. They actually came when we were on holiday and the only way we knew was because a fencer was working in the garden and told us when we came home.

They didn't leave a card or advise of a subsequent visit. They just turned up one day.

steampowered

I think you need to write off this £70 to be honest.

At the end of the day you did make a formal application for retrospective planning permission. For all you know there may have been work done on the application.

I don't think you can now change your mind and say you don't want planning permission anymore. You applied for it.

You could complain about the planning permission taking too long if you still want it, but I doubt that helps.