Mr A complained that Beaumaris Town Council had failed to respond to a complaint the Ombudsman referred to it in October 2023 regarding a burial plot. Mr A said he had not received any contact from the Town Council.
The Ombudsman found that the Town Council had failed to respond to the complaint she had referred to it. Additionally, the Town Council’s Complaints Policy on its website was incorrect as it did not explain how members of the public could make a complaint to it, instead referring members of the public directly to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Town Council’s agreement to apologise to Mr A, explain the reasons for the delay, and provide him with a complaint response within 6 weeks. The Town Council also agreed to review and update its Complaints Policy within 12 weeks. The new Complaints Policy should explain how complaints can be made to the Council and the process the Council will follow when dealing with such complaints.