A List of Commercial Property not currently Receiving Small Business Rates Relief

Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to the FoI office for response.

Kind regards

Customer Services
Swindon Borough Council
Wat Tyler House
Swindon SN1 2JG
Phone: 01793 445500

E-mail: [Swindon Borough Council request email]
Website: www.swindon.gov.uk

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Dear Mr Ball ,

Ref FOI101000193133 Freedom of Information Request

Thank you for your attached request for copies dated 5th January 2010.

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Council has a duty to respond 'promptly' or no later than 20 working days, which in this case is 2 February 2010.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me as detailed, quoting the above reference number.

Yours sincerely,

Sharon Druett

Freedom of Information Officer
Swindon Borough Council

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Dear Mr Ball,

FOI101000193133 Freedom of Information Act - Request for information - Small Business Rates Relief

Thank you for your for your attached email dated 5 January 2010 requesting information concerning Small Business Rate Relief and the names of the owners of those properties referred to.

The Council has a duty to respond 'promptly' to your request or in this case no late than 2 February 2010.

Firstly, we do not feel able to provide details of properties that relate to individuals (sole traders) even without including their individual names, because of the Information Tribunal Decision concerning the London Borough of Bexley. In this case it was decided that identifying addresses belonging to individuals is identifying their personal data and as such, is covered by the provisions of the Data Protection legislation. (ref.http://www.informationtribunal.gov.uk/DB...) This information is classed as third party personal information and therefore to release the information would be breaking the Data Protection Act principals.

Secondly, our IT system does not have a report to provide the information your have requested. We have estimated that to commission and develop a report would require in excess of 18 hours work, so under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, such work would be chargeable. We estimate that the total cost of providing a report will be in the region of £1,000. If you are still interested in obtaining this information and prepared to pay for it, please let me know and I will ask for a breakdown of the work and a definite price and issue a fees notice and Refusal Notice that fully outlines our arguments concerning the information we are unable to release and where we consider the public interest lies.

If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review, you should contact:

Customer Services
Civic Offices
Euclid Street
Swindon
E-mail: [Swindon Borough Council request email]

The complaints/review procedure involves a full review and an examination of all the information by the Council's Monitoring Officer.

If you are not content with the outcome of our conclusion, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner's Office for a decision, before contacting the Council. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the Council's own complaints procedure.

The Information Officer can be contacted at:

The Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Email: [email address] <mailto:[email address]>
Tel: 01625 545700 (ask for Freedom of Information)

If you require any further information concerning this matter, please contact me as detailed, quoting the above reference number in any future communications.

Yours Sincerely

Sharon Druett

Freedom of Information Officer
Swindon Borough Council

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