Business Rates

The request was refused by Sefton Borough Council.

Dear Sefton Borough 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

Information, Sefton Borough Council

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1. mailto:[email address]

Mike Stewart, Sefton Borough Council

Hi Lorna,

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 4th June 2016.

 

I have considered your request under the Act and can provide some of the
information you have requested. Please see below for the information I am
unable to provide:-

 

A:- A full list of all NNDR properties and their rateable values is
available by other means and is therefore exempt from disclosure under
Section 21 of the Act

B:- The names of liable parties can only be provided where the liable
party is not a natural person. Where the liable party is a natural person
it is considered personal data and is exempt from disclosure under Section
40 of the Act. The Council will not hold correspondence addresses in all
cases, but where it does it considers this information is exempt from
disclosure under Section 41 of the Act. This information is available from
companies house.

 

We have therefore removed any addresses that relate to individuals.

D:- The amount of rates payable is exempt from disclosure under Section 21
of the Act as it is available elsewhere

Information relating to your request is available on the Sefton Council
website, the  Information is updated on a monthly basis. Please follow the
link [1]https://www.sefton.gov.uk/businessrates/....

 

The Freedom of Information Act asks that public authorities must provide
applicants with particulars of how they may complain about the handling of
their request for information should they wish to.

 

Any such complaint should be directed to [2][Sefton Borough Council request email] or
the Information Management and Governance Lead, 7th Floor, Merton House,
Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3UU.

 

You may choose to request a review of the decision taken and if
dissatisfied following the authority's review, you are entitled under
section 17 (7) (b) of the Act to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision notice.

 

Further information can be found at:-

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Email: [3]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

Mike Stewart

Sefton MBC

St Peter's House

Balliol Road

Bootle

L20 3AB

 

 

 

From: Lorna Wilson [[4]mailto:[FOI #338311 email]]
Sent: 04 June 2016 20:26
To: Information
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Business Rates

 

Dear Sefton Borough 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

 

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