List of commercial properties not receiving small business rate relief

For the attention of Nigel Woodley

I write in reply to your email to Mid Devon District Council, dated 2 January 2010, quoting the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and requesting information concerning 'Commercial Properties'.

You asked to be provided with the following information:

(a) The addresses and rateable values of Commercial properties that are within your District Council up to a rateable value of £12,000 who are eligible for, but not currently receiving small business rate relief; and

(b) The names of the owners of those properties referred to in (a)

I can confirm that Council holds information of the type that you are requesting. However, the information is not being released to you since processing of the information would exceed the 'Appropriate Limit' set out in section 12 of the FOI Act.

The Council's records do not make a distinction between private and commercial ownership. The requirement to sort the records to remove information relating to individuals and then to create summaries of the information requested, would have to be performed manually.

I am informed that there are over 2000 NNDR properties with rateable values up to £12,000 but it is not possible to automatically sort through these to indentify those who are eligible for, but not currently receiving small business rate relief.

It is estimated that each individual account would have to be looked at and that it may take between 1 and up to 5 minutes to sort through those companies to find and extract the information requested - this would take a minimum of 33 hours to do this.

Since the estimated cost of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit of £450 (this represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours (at £25 per hour) in extracting the information) and under Section 12 of the act the Council is not obliged to comply with your request.

I am sorry I am unable to provide the information you requested, but I hope that the above explanation will give you an understanding of why not.

I trust you will find the above information useful.

If you are dissatisfied with the response you have received and wish to request a review of the decision, or how your request has been handled, please write to: Customer Services, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6PP and state your reasons.

Alternatively, you may complete the online complaint/review form - details of which can be found on the Council Website at www.middevon.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid....

Please note that your request for internal review should be submitted to us within 40 working days of receipt by you of this response. Any such request received after this time will not be considered.

If the review does not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. (The contact details for the Information Commissioner can be found at www.ico.gov.uk/Global/contact_us.aspx).

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Officer
Mid Devon District Council
Phoenix House
Phoenix Lane
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 6PP

Email: [Mid Devon District Council request email]

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