Dear Mr. Nash,

RE: Freedom of Information Request 58994

I refer to your request for information dated 17 April 2009 in which you requested information regarding long term empty commercial properties within the Liverpool City Council area. Your request had been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please find below the response to your enquiry. Your questions were as follows:

Please see attached to this letter a list of long term empty commercial properties that are within Liverpool City Council area and the names of the owners of those properties. Where the primary liable party name is left blank Liverpool City Council does not hold this information.

Under Sections 40(2)(b) and 40(3)(a)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the name of individual owners have been removed from the list. The Council maintains its position that release of this information represents an unwarranted invasion into the privacy of the owners of those properties. Release of the information into the public domain could allow the individual owners to be identified, and this would constitute a breach of the Data Protection Principles. For that reason information about these properties have been redacted.

The City Council will consider appeals, referrals or complaints in respect of your Freedom of Information Act 2000 request under the first stage of the Have Your Say Scheme.  You can either complete a form on-line at our website http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Feedback/Have_your_say/index.asp or you can complete a form at any One Stop Shop or Library.  Alternatively, you can write to us at Liverpool Direct, Freepost, NWW 3400A, Liverpool L1 3ZZ.  Your complaint/appeal/referral will be investigated by a different senior officer within ten working days.

If you remain dissatisfied you may also apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision about whether the request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Information Commissioner's website is www.ico.gov.uk and the postal address and telephone numbers are:-

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.  Fax number 01625 524 510, DX 20819, Telephone 01625 545745.  Email - [email address] (they advise that their email is not secure)

Yours sincerely

Miss W Twigge (pp)

Information Manager

Liverpool City Council

Wendy Twigge Information Manager, Legal Services

Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2DH

Tel: 0151 225 3132 Fax: 0151 225 2392 Email: InformationRequests @liverpool.gov.uk