Freedom of Information Act

Access to Information

We aim to make as much information as possible available through our Publication Scheme. Exceptions to this will be information that is subject to the exemptions set out in the Act.

Information will be made accessible through this website and a list of what is available will be updated regularly. If you require information, but do not have access to the Internet, arrangements can be made to enable you to view information at the council offices.

Requests for information

FOI requests can be made in writing by post, email and online, providing your name and address with a description of the requested information. We will aim to respond to all requests within 20 working days from receipt of the request. All requests not subject to the Act will be handled in line with our Customer Care Standards.

If you wish to submit a Freedom of Information or Environmental Information request, please first browse our Disclosure Log before submitting a request.

Exemptions

We will not unnecessarily withhold information and are committed to making information about our services and activities accessible. However, under the Act, the council is entitled to withhold certain types of information where an applicable exemption applies.

A full list of the FOIA exemptions can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Complaints

We will always try to help you with queries and requests for information.

If you disagree with any exemptions used in our response or are not satisfied with how we have handled your request, you can ask for an internal review of the council's response by contacting the Freedom of Information team and quoting the request reference number.

If you are still not satisfied with the outcome having gone through the council's internal Review procedure, you can ask the Information Commissioner to review the decision.