Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Simon Aley MBA; LL.B; Dip.L.G.

Mr Kingstone Murombedzi

By email:

[FOI #40769 email]

LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC SERVICES

Your Ref:

Our ref: SA / 103759 / Please ask for Simon Aley Direct Dial: 01536 464024 Direct Fax: 01536 464109

e-mail: [email address]

DX address: DX12915 Corby

30 September, 2010

Dear Mr Murombedzi,

Re: Review of your Request for Information- Vacant Commercial Properties (Ref 103759)

I have received your request for a review sent by email dated 31 August 2010 and I have examined the file in relation to this matter which relates to vacant and recently vacant commercial properties owned by Corby Borough Council.

I note that the following information has been released you:

You were also directed to a web page that detailed the market rental price for currently vacant properties. I can confirm that at the time of responding, the properties identified as vacant were included in the web page entitled `Commercial Properties Available to Let'. However, properties under offer, or tenanted would not have been included.

In response to the non disclosure of market rental price for properties that are no longer vacant, I can confirm that Corby Borough Council does not hold information on current market rental price for such properties. Therefore we are not in a position to provide this to you.

With regard to the matter of expressions of interest in renting properties, I can confirm that the decision to cite Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act was appropriate in this case. Ms McAspurren has explained to you that in order to identify, locate and retrieve the information you are requesting would involve checking staff diary entries for up to 10 officers from 2008 onwards. This has been estimated at taking over 70 hours to complete (based on the review of monthly diaries for each officer since January 2008, at 15 minutes per month). The estimated time would increase if it was necessary to check by weekly or daily entries.

The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, which refer to the limit as cited in Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, states that the appropriate cost limit in dealing with your request is £450 at £25 per hour. This equates to 18 hours. Bearing this in mind the Council maintains its right not to comply with an aspect of a request that would take significantly longer to deal with.

As you will be aware, if you remain dissatisfied with the Council's response you may appeal to the Information Commissioner at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

08456 30 60 60

www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Simon Aley

Head of Legal and Democratic Services