Decision report 201200971

Summary

Mr C complained to the council about their decision to implement a change in the numbering of his flat. Mr C said the council failed to act in accordance with the statutory addressing charter (which provides guidance on how such changes should be gone about) and said the council unreasonably failed to provide an explanation as to how the change was implemented.

In 2011, we investigated a complaint from an owner of another flat in the same stair. He had complained because the council failed to serve him with statutory repair notices. Our investigation of that complaint found the council had sent the repair notices but they were incorrectly addressed to a flat within the stair that did not exist. We upheld that complaint and we recommended that to address this problem the council write to the owners and seek their views on adopting a different numbering system. The council issued a questionnaire to each owner to seek their views on this. There was not 100 percent agreement between the owners and because of that, the council put the matter to the relevant committee for a decision. The committee decided that the flats - which included Mr C's property - should be renumbered in a clearer, more logical way.

When we investigated Mr C's complaint we were satisfied that, in taking the decision to renumber the flat, the council had exercised their discretion, as they were entitled to do. The evidence confirmed that they took the decision after considering the statutory addressing charter and the complaint previously investigated by this office. In addition, we were satisfied the council had provided Mr C with a reasonable explanation as to why the decision was taken to renumber the properties.