Home > Publications > Selected cases — Parliamentary > Selected Cases and Summaries of Completed Investigations - October 1998 - March 1999 > Rural Development Commission
Sixth Report Session 1998-99
Volume 2
OCTOBER 1998 - MARCH 1999
The full report of selected cases
Summary of other investigations completed
RURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
Misadvice about a redundant buildings grant (RBG)
Business advisers to one of RDC's local offices encouraged Mr N to make a formal application for a RBG to convert a derelict building for use by HM Coastguard. Another RDC office then rejected the RBG application, principally because RBGs cannot be awarded for premises to be used by public sector agencies. Mr N complained to RDC that their agents had misadvised him; he claimed reimbursement of the costs he had incurred in making the application. RDC apologised, returned his RBG application fee, but rejected his claim for compensation for other expenses. After the Ombudsman's intervention, RDC offered to reimburse Mr N for his architects' and planning permission costs, but not for his business consultancy fees. After further prompting from the Ombudsman, RDC accepted that it had not been unreasonable for Mr N to have incurred the business consultancy costs and that he would not have done so had it not been for their agents' misadvice. RDC therefore agreed to meet his full claim if he could support it with receipted accounts. Additionally, RDC undertook to make their RBG literature and staff guidance more explicit about the use of premises by public sector agencies.
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