Overview
The complainant (Mr C) raised a number of complaints that were in connection with unanswered questions he put to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) about private discharge proposals in or near sewered areas.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that SEPA:
- (a) failed to answer five questions outlined in Mr C's letter of 25 April 2005 and all subsequent questions he raised thereafter (upheld);
- (b) failed to adequately answer the related queries from Mr C's lawyer (not upheld);
- (c) failed to abide by the terms and conditions of the Service Charter that was in operation at the time Mr C made his complaint (upheld);
- (d) failed to ensure that their staff should not use draft policies that have not been signed off by the Board (not upheld); and
- (e) as an organisation fails to be consistent and fair (not upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that SEPA:
- (i) apologise to Mr C for failing to answer his five questions and respond directly to him answering the questions in the same way that SEPA replied to me;
- (ii) apologise to Mr C for their failure to meet the terms and conditions of their Service Charter;
- (iii) review how they identify and address formal complaints that arise from ongoing correspondence.
SEPA have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.