The Government has confirmed it is looking at creating a single public services ombudsman for England. This move could eventually mean the amalgamation of the services provided by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and also the activities of the Commission for Local Administration in England.
Planning complaints are a staple of the LGO’s workload. The amalgamation will require primary legislation.
Confirmation of the move to a one-stop shop came after the administration published the outcome of an independent governance review of the LGO.
This report argued that the establishment of a unified service for dealing with problems or complaints would make it easier for the public to register complaints and seek redress.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has agreed that the governance arrangements of the LGO service should be modernised ‘moving to a single Local Government Ombudsman for England, providing robust and consistent leadership, driving up performance and ensuring that the public can obtain swift redress when things go wrong.’
Read the Department for Communities and Local Government news release at: LINK
UK Government Publications: LINK
