London Borough of Camden

Organisation Development

Corporate ICT

3-5 Cressy Road

Hampstead

London NW3 2ND

e-mail: [Camden Borough Council request email]

Direct: 020 7974 2269

www.camden.gov.uk

Mr James Martin

[FOI #10296 email]

27 April 2009

Ref: RFI/04294

Dear Mr Martin

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request received on 09 April 2009.

Your request has been considered and the information is below.

You requested the following information:

i) The number of noise incidents reported to your 'Noise Team' or

'Noise Patrol' officers in the last 12 months.

ii) The number of times your 'Noise Team' or 'Noise Patrol'

officers failed to, or were unable to, attend a reported incident.

iii) The reasons for failing to attend, or being unable to attend,

such reported incidents, for example; staff sickness, high levels

of incidents or lack of resources etc.

iv) The annual budget allocated to the Camden 'Noise Team' or

'Noise Patrol' unit?

v) The Council policy that regulates and defines how the 'Noise

Team' or 'Noise Patrol' operates within the Borough?

vi) The number of complaints made against the Camden 'Noise Team'

or 'Noise Patrol' for failing to carry out their duties effectively

and the outcome of those complaints?

Your request has now been considered and we are unable to provide you with the information you have requested.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Costs exceeds Appropriate Limit

Under section 12 of the Act, the Council is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the costs of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.

The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 has set the appropriate limit as £450 based on a charge at £25 per hour.

The estimated time likely to be spent by the Council on the request and costs are as follows:

Determining whether the Council hold the information:

Searching the manual and electronic records of the Council to determine whether the information is held.

Time: 0 hours

Locating the information or documents containing the information:

Time: 0 hours

Retrieving such information or documents:

Retrieving all manual and electronic information held in the Council relating to your request including archived correspondence files and electronic records

Time: 0 hours

Extracting the information from documents and files containing it (including editing or redacting information):

Time: 30 hours

Total time = 30 Hours

Total cost = £750.00

You may wish to narrow and resubmit your request so that it falls within the “appropriate limit”.

Please note the information is still covered by copyright legislation. You are not authorised to re-use this information for commercial or research purposes as defined by the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005. Please do not use any contact details provided for direct mail purposes. If you do wish to re-use this information please contact the Freedom of Information Team, First Floor, 3-5 Cressy Road, London NW3 2ND, who will assess your request.

If you are dissatisfied with this response and wish to appeal, please write to Peter Swingler, Freedom of Information Appeals Panel, Central Complaints Unit, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE and your complaint will be dealt with through our Internal Review procedure.

If you are still not satisfied following the Internal Review, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner. He can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF 
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Michael Warby

Access to Information Officer

Director of Law & Administration:

Alison Lowton