Empty properties

Dear Mr Windsor
Your Request has been logged as RFI/02341. You may expect a response
within the prescribed 20 working days time period, i.e. by 09 September
2010.

FOI Coordinator, on behalf of Greenwich Council
4th floor, Riverside House, Woolwich High Street, London SE18 6BU
Tel: 020 8921 5084

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Dear Mr Windsor

I write with reference to your Request, shown below.

This email acts as a Refusal Notice as the Authority has determined that
you should not be provided with the information you have requested.

The Council holds information regarding empty properties on either its
Business Rates or Council Tax database. The only means by which such data
can be accessed would be by processing the data held with reference to
identifying which properties received a relevant empty property exemption
from either Council Tax or Business Rates.

It is this Authority's view that Section 31 of the Freedom of Information
Act 2000 applies to this Request. This section provides that information
is exempt from disclosure

if such disclosure would prejudice the "prevention or detection of
crime". Putting the addresses of empty properties (residential or
otherwise) within the Borough into the

public domain would in the Authority's view compromise the security of the
buildings concerned and would prejudice the objectives of preventing
criminal behaviour. We

consider there is a significant risk that releasing details of empty
properties might lead to burglary, arson or squatting. Within the borough
there have been

occasions when fires have been set in empty properties.In relation to
domestic and commercial empty properties, there is also known use of such
empty properties

to commit benefit fraud, identity fraud and money laundering.

We have consulted with other Boroughs who have also received similar
requests, and we have been advised that concerns have also been expressed
by the Metropolitan Police. These concerns indicate that release of the
information sought would in the police's view increase the potential for
the properties to be targeted by squatters, by criminals or terrorists
intent on hiding or depositing proceeds of crime or terrorist materials.
There is also the potential for premises to be identified as short-term
hiding places by criminals or terrorists. We have consulted our local
police and they have confirmed the number of incidents of crimes carried
out on empty properties, and their view is that disclosing this
information would prejudice the prevention of crime.

These incidents would support the concerns the Authority has as to the
prejudice to the prevention of crime in the borough if the information
were disclosed. The Act does not allow the Council to enquire as to
motives, nor do we have any control over distribution of the information
once it is released into the public domain.

Section 31 is a qualified exemption to which the public interest test must
be applied. There do not appear to be any obvious public interest
considerations that would weigh in favour of disclosure beyond that
wherever possible it is in the public interest for them to have access to
information. There is however in our view clear public interest
considerations that weigh in favour of not disclosing the information
since to do so would prejudice the objective of prevention of crime which
is of course in everyone's interests. Having considered whether the public
interest weighs in favour of disclosure or non-disclosure in this instance
the Authority has decided that it is not in the public interest to release
such information.

Alan Soskin
Corporate Information Manager, Greenwich Council
Human Resources & Organisational Improvement
4th floor, Riverside House, Woolwich High Street, London SE18 6BU
Tel: 020 8921 5084

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