Business Rates
Dear Middlesbrough Council,
Please can you provide me with the following information under the
Freedom Of Information Act 2000:-
The most up to date list you can obtain (Ideally from April 2016) (please provide the date of the data) with;
(a) List all Commercial properties with their Rateable Values and addresses.
(b) The names and addresses of the Rate payers referred to above
for each property and their correspondence address (if different
from the property address)
(c) The full billing authority reference for each property (this is the property reference not the account number)
(d) The current liability payable for the year 2015/16 & 2016/17
(e) The date the rateable occupier first became liable for the
business rates
(f) If the property is empty that date it became empty
(g) Please also state which hereditament is currently receiving
I. Charitable rate relief (mandatory rate relief)
II. Discretionary rate relief
III. Empty property rate relief
IV. Listed building exemption
V. Retail Relief
VI Small Business Rate Relief
VII. Any other relief
(h) List of all credits on account and the amounts
In accordance with the ICO Torbay decision, I would appreciate it of this Council did not withhold the names of sole traders and partners. In the circumstances of the Torbay case the individuals were private landlords or sole traders and the Commissioner concluded that disclosure of their names would not breach the first data protection principle as the information relates to the business activities of the individuals concerned and not activities they undertake simply or solely in their private lives. The Commissioner concluded that disclosure would be fair and meet schedule 2 condition 6 of the Data Protection Act.
Thanking you in advance.
Yours faithfully,
Lorna Wilson
Dear Ms Wilson
REF NO: 009680
Thank you for your recent enquiry, received on 26^th May 2016, in relation
to business rates. I can confirm that your enquiry is receiving attention
and a response will be provided within 20 working days following receipt
of your enquiry as allowed under the Freedom of Information Act
legislation.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will
let you know the likely charges before proceeding.
Please do not hesitate to contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or
email [1][Middlesbrough Council request email] should you require any further advice or
assistance with this or any other matter.
Yours sincerely
Steph Robson
Freedom of Information Officer
Democratic Services
Organisation and Governance
Middlesbrough Council
PO Box 503
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX
Tel: 01642 729696
E-mail: [2][Middlesbrough Council request email]
SAT NAV POST CODE TS1 2RT
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Middlesbrough Council request email]
2. mailto:[Middlesbrough Council request email]
Dear Ms Wilson
REF NO: 009680
I am writing to confirm that Middlesbrough Council has now completed its
search for the information you requested on 26 ^ May 2016.
In your request you asked for the following information:
The most up to date list you can obtain (Ideally from April 2016) (please
provide the date of the data) with;
(a) List all Commercial properties with their Rateable Values and
addresses.
(b) The names and addresses of the Rate payers referred to above for each
property and their correspondence address (if different from the property
address)
(c) The full billing authority reference for each property (this is the
property reference not the account number)
(d) The current liability payable for the year 2015/16 & 2016/17
(e) The date the rateable occupier first became liable for the business
rates
(f) If the property is empty that date it became empty
(g) Please also state which hereditament is currently receiving I.
Charitable rate relief (mandatory rate relief) II. Discretionary rate
relief III. Empty property rate relief IV. Listed building exemption V.
Retail Relief VI Small Business Rate Relief VII. Any other relief
(h) List of all credits on account and the amounts
Response: A copy of the information you requested is attached. Please
note that the names of sole traders have been redacted on the basis of
section 40(2) of FOIA. We consider this information to be third party
personal information.
The information you have requested in respect of vacant properties is
exempt under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, and is
therefore being withheld.
Having considered the public interest test, the Councils decision is that
the release of the information into the public domain would be likely to
prejudice the prevention of detection of crime.
Section 31 is a qualified exemption and therefore the “public interest
test” was applied.
Whilst the Council accepts there are indeed some advantages in the release
of the information to the public at large, I am not satisfied that this
outweighs the public interest in withholding the information for the
following reasons:
· The risk that publication would prejudice the prevention of crime, as it
could lead to the likely targeting of those empty properties by those
engaged in vandalism, theft or other anti-social behaviour.
· The risk that publication would lead to increased anxiety and fear of
crime amongst occupants or adjacent residential and commercial properties,
as a result of the likely targeting of the empty properties by those
engaged in criminal and anti-social behaviour.
· The risk that publication could undermine efforts by the Council and
commercial property owners to bring empty properties back into use, in
order to improve local communities and reduce crime and vandalism in the
area around empty properties.
If you have any queries about this response, please do not hesitate to
contact me direct on (01642) 729696/729698 or email
[Middlesbrough Council request email] Please remember to quote the reference number
shown above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled you may ask
for an internal review within 40 days of receipt of the response. You
should write to:-
Sylvia Reynolds,
Information Governance Manager,
P.O. Box 503,
Ground Floor,
Town Hall,
Middlesbrough,
TS1 9FX
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for an
independent review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: -
Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
Steph Robson
Freedom of Information Officer
Democratic Services
Organisation and Governance
Middlesbrough Council
PO Box 503
Town Hall
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FX
Tel: 01642 729696
E-mail: [1][Middlesbrough Council request email]
SAT NAV POST CODE TS1 2RT
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Middlesbrough Council request email]
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