Dear Mr Lovegrove

Your requests for information ref. SOT78426, SOT78403 and SOT78401

It has been drawn to our attention that 8 information requests have been received from you in the last 6 months in relation to housing and the potential selective licensing scheme. We have received a total of 18 requests around housing and selective licensing in the last 12 months.

It should be noted that any request made to the Council is covered by either the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 regardless of any reference to the legislation in the request. The objective of the legislation is to make available information held by a public authority and is not intended to inhibit the workings of a public authority. The volume of your requests for similar information has regretfully led the Council to issue the following notice.

This is in accordance with the provisions of Section14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 14(1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the request is vexatious.

Some of your requests are covered by the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and are regarded as voluminous and a diversion of the resources of the City Council and therefore it is manifestly unreasonable to process the requests, in accordance with regulation 12(4)(b) of the Environmental information Regulations 2004

All of your requests, including your most recent ones, are asking for information surrounding the selective licensing scheme and housing. These requests on a small team are burdensome and a heavy strain on valuable public resources.

If you have any queries about this email, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, you should write to: Information Rights Manager, Customer Feedback and Information Rights Team, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Corporate Services, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, ST4 1HH or email [E-bost cais Stoke on Trent City Council].

If, after contacting us, you are not content with the outcome, you may ask the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have already used our internal review procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel. 0303 123 1113 or you can visit their website at www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx.

Yours sincerely

Information Rights Team

Information Rights

City of Stoke-on-Trent

Floor 2 Civic Centre Glebe Street Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH

T: 01782 232853, 01782 233020, 01782 233732, 01782 235965

E: [E-bost cais Stoke on Trent City Council]