Barnard Castle Vision

S Bainbridge made this Freedom of Information request to Barnard Castle Town Council

The request was partially successful.

From: S Bainbridge

10 February 2010

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to make a request in line with the Freedom of
Information Act.

Could you please publish and make available any and all minutes of
council proceedings, including meetings of the Town Council and its
various sub-groups and committees, that have involved discussion of
Barnard Castle Vision, or issues relating to Barnard Castle Vision?

Could you also publish any and all correspondence and documents
received or sent by the Town Clerk in relation to Barnard Castle
Vision and the Town Council?

Yours faithfully,

S Bainbridge

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Barnard Castle Town Council

11 February 2010

Dear S Bainbridge,

The minutes of full Town Council meetings from April 2008 are published on
our website:- http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/barnard... .

The Town Council's Committees and Working Groups don't discuss the Barnard
Castle Vision separately, it is a subject matter that is discussed at full
Council meetings.

Due to our limited resources, it will take some time to make all the
information that you have requested available, other than the minutes that
are available from our website. It would be helpful if you could let me know
me if you are looking for a specific issue or otherwise.

Kind regards,

H L Plant

Mrs Helen Plant
Assistant Clerk
Barnard Castle Town Council
Tel. 01833 690970

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From: S Bainbridge

11 February 2010

Dear Mrs Plant,

Thank you for directing me to the minutes on the website. In
response to this information, I would like to request that any and
all reports and briefing notes submitted to the council by Barnard
Castle Vision, and referenced in the minutes be published. I would
also like to request that the minutes of the Modernisation,
Planning and Finance Committees from January 2008 be published (I
do not believe that these are available on the website).

Regarding the second part of my request, I would like any and all
letters and emails exchanged between the Town Clerk (and his
assistants) and employees of Barnard Castle Vision (including the
Independent Chair) to be published. I would also like to request
that any and all documents exchanged between the Town Council and
Barnard Castle Vision relating to the Glass Box Information Point
on Galgate, the public toilets and the Market Cross (Butter market)
be published.

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

S Bainbridge

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Barnard Castle Town Council

2 March 2010

Attachment Request for Information Form.pdf
29K Download View as HTML

Dear S Bainbridge,

The Town Council has an adopted Freedom of Information Publication Scheme.
The scheme advises individuals and organisations what information the Town
Council routinely publishes and also how to access it.

In order to fulfil your request, please complete the request for information
form attached (also available from this Council's website).

Kind regards,

H L Plant

Mrs Helen Plant
Assistant Clerk
Barnard Castle Town Council
Tel. 01833 690970

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From: S Bainbridge

2 March 2010

Dear Mrs Plant,

Through your reply on 11 February and your reply today, you have
indicated receipt of my request. The Freedom of Information Act,
most particularly Section 8 of that Act, allows me to submit a
request through electronic means, and it is my wish and desire to
conduct this correspondence via email, through WhatDoTheyKnow,
rather than use a paper-based form.

I would therefore like to request that I receive the information,
or a decision notice explaining why the Freedom of Information Act
permits you to withhold the information, promptly and within the 20
working-day time limit set out under the Act. To clarify one point
concerning my request, I asked that "the minutes of the
Modernisation, Planning and Finance Committees from January 2008 be
published". That should have read "from January 2008 to the present
day".

I look forward to a prompt reply.

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

S Bainbridge

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From: S Bainbridge

15 March 2010

Dear Barnard Castle Town Council,

May I please remind you that, by law, I should have received a
reply by at least the 10th March. Could I request that my request
is dealt with promptly and within the next couple of days.

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

S Bainbridge

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Barnard Castle Town Council

23 March 2010

Attachment Planning Cmt Minutes Jan 2008 to Feb 2010.pdf
1.5M Download View as HTML

Attachment Reports to Council re Barnard Castle Vision.pdf
731K Download View as HTML

Attachment Finance Cmt Minutes Jan 2008 to Dec 2009.pdf
2.4M Download View as HTML

Attachment Modernisation Minutes Jan 2008 to Dec 2009.pdf
940K Download View as HTML

Dear S Bainbridge,

As stated in earlier correspondence, due to our limited resources your
specific request for the information to be via 'electronic means' would take
time. The Freedom of Information Act does not require us to publish any of
the information that you requested. However, the Town Council has to make it
available and as such, the majority of the information you requested is
always available to view via hard copies in the office by prior arrangement.

I have attached the following documents for your information:-

i) Planning Committee Minutes from January, 2008 to February, 2010;
ii) Finance Committee Minutes from January, 2008 to December, 2009;
iii)Modernisation Committee Minutes from January, 2008 to December, 2009;
and
iv) Update Reports to the Town Council from the Barnard Castle Vision from
the commencement of that arrangement, April, 2009 to December, 2009.

In respect of the request for all letters and emails to be made available;
again there is no requirement for these to be published or actually
retained. The majority of letters or emails that are exchanged between the
Town Council and the Barnard Castle Vision can be summarised under the
following subject headings:-

- Meeting arrangements;
- Ongoing project information;
- Consultation information; and
- Event organisation.

Should it be relevant for you to understand how the Town Council operates,
please browse the information on our website. However, if you have any
further queries, please call into the office (open to the public Monday to
Fridays between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm) or telephone.

Kind regards,

H L Plant

Mrs Helen Plant
Assistant Clerk
Barnard Castle Town Council
Tel. 01833 690970

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Owen Barber left an annotation (24 March 2010)

Since they have declined to "publish" the remaining information, just ask again for them to send it to you electronically. (Under the FOI Act, much information that need not be "published" still must be made available to the public.) Information sent to WhatDoTheyKnow will become public.

They are required to send information electronically if you request them to, so long as doing so is "reasonably practicable". Merely stating that doing so would "take time" does not show that doing so would not be reasonably practicable.

Cheers,
Owen

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