Easter break office closure 

We will be closed from 5pm Thursday 17 April 2025 until 10am Tuesday 22 April 2025. You can still submit your complaint via our online form but we will not respond until we reopen.

New Customer Service Standards

We have updated our Customer Service Standards and are looking for feedback from customers. Please fill out our survey here by 12 May 2025: https://forms.office.com/e/ZDpjibqe8r 

Investigation Report 200502749

  • Report no:
    200502749
  • Date:
    April 2008
  • Body:
    The Highland Council
  • Sector:
    Local Government

Overview

The complainant, Mr C, believed The Highland Council (the Council) had acted outwith procedures and in an incompetent and inconsistent way in regard to a planning application for a wind farm development (Application A).  He complained that:  the Council's actions had contravened Scottish Natural Heritage guidance; Environmental Impact Assessment guidance and European Union directives; the Council had approved the application on the basis of incompetent assessments; the Council had inappropriately circumvented proper procedures; and the Council had not acted consistently in comparison with the actions they had previously taken regarding other applications that were, in his view, similar.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that the Council acted:

  • (a) outwith procedures in regard to Application A (not upheld);
  • (b) incompetently in regard to Application A (not upheld); and
  • (c) inconsistently in regard to Application A (not upheld).

Redress and recommendations

The Ombudsman has no recommendations to make.

Updated: December 11, 2018