Property and Assets and Buildings

The request is waiting for clarification. If you are Viran Patel, please sign in to send a follow up message.

Dear Organisation,

I would like to know a full list of Vacant Properties held by your organisation and any of its subsidiaries.

If possible their market value for sale or to let, whether they would be considered for a community asset transfer, if not then whether they are for sale or to let. In a clear and easy to read format. It would be supportive if the property is for sale or to let that it is listed on here too: https://e-pims.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/gove... and that you inform us of this intention or such listing in the request.

In the previous case in Voyias v IC and LB Camden (EA/201v1/0007), the requesters asked for substantially similar information, and the judge favoured disclosure. I appreciate the circumstances here are quite different, but the same principles should apply.

I understand there is a risk that your empty properties would be targeted by squatters should this the list of empty properties be public, but this is a very slim risk. The prejudice to law enforcement should be real, likely and substantial, as per Hogan v the ICO and Oxford City Council. I can assure you that my request is not sent in order to cause trouble for the authority, it is predominantly for my own research, with publication as part of campaigning materials. I am concerned at the sale of public assets, not a not an advocate for their illegal occupation. I would also say that I cannot imagine the disclosure of this list of properties to significantly affect a squatting problem that pre-existed my interest in the organisation. Overall the prejudice to law enforcement is very slim, and not severe. Since 12 months will be the time that this information will be released onto this site, unless others request this information separately. The requester is not liable for any issues that may arise in between or after.

It is in the public interest and transparency that this information is made publicly available under the public sector duty under the equality act allowing people to know of this information and make use of it under the Community Asset Transfer scheme and under the Human Rights Act Article 11 enabling the community to gather and make decisions on the allocation of such assets.

Yours faithfully,

Viran Patel

Basildon Council, Email Notification, Basildon Borough Council

This email is an acknowledgement of your Legal Information
Support Request submitted on 30/07/2018. A notification will be sent to
your email address by 28/08/2018 to inform you of the outcome.

To save you time in the future, why not Do it Online. You can now use our
[1]online form to let us know of future Legal Information Support
requests.

Thank you

This message does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies or
procedures of Basildon Borough Council or its partners and does not give
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References

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1. https://www5.basildon.gov.uk/report/Lega...

Basildon Council, Email Notification, Basildon Borough Council

Dear V Patel

I refer to your request for information submitted on 30/07/2018.

To enable the authority to respond to your request could you please
provide me with some more information?  Does your request refer to
commercial or residential properties?   As soon as I receive this I can
then deal with your request.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

You will be unable to reply to this email. If you wish to contact us
please email [email address].

Yours sincerely

Sue Marriott
Legal Information Support Team

This message does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies or
procedures of Basildon Borough Council or its partners and does not give
rise to any contract, undertaking or agreement. eMail is not a secure form
of communication. Every effort has been made to ensure that this message
has been correctly addressed. It and any associated file(s) may contain
private or confidential information or details intended only for the
sender and the intended recipient. If this message is received by anyone
other than the intended recipient please delete the message and any
associated file(s) and destroy any printed copy. Please notify the sender
by a return e-mail or telephone and make them aware that the message has
been received by someone other than the intended recipient. If the subject
line of this email begins PER: then the email is a personal one and is the
personal responsibility of the sender and not Basildon Borough Council or
its partners.
If you would like to find out more about how Basildon Borough Council use
your personal data please go to www.basildon.gov.uk/privacy