Complete Non-Residential / Business Property Rates Data (Q3 2023)

Gavin Chait made this Freedom of Information request to Dudley Council as part of a batch sent to 102 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

The request was refused by Dudley Council.

Dear Dudley Council,

In terms of the Freedom of Information Act of 2000, and subject to section 40(2) on personal data, could you please provide me with your local authority’s complete and most-recently updated list of all business (non-residential) property rates data, including the following fields:

- Billing Authority Property Reference Code (linking the property to the public VOA database reference)
- Firm's Trading Name (i.e. property occupant or ratepayer)
- Full Property Address (Number, Street, Postal Code, Town)
- Occupation / Vacancy status
- Date of Occupation / Vacancy
- Reliefs and / or exemption categories (classifications) granted or applied
- Date that reliefs and / or exemption categories granted or applied
- Value of reliefs and / or exemption categories granted or applied (in Pounds)
- Actual annual rates charged (in Pounds)

If you are unable to provide an absolute “Occupation / Vacancy” status, please provide the balance of the information requested..

Please could you also provide a list of definitions for the codes for the Exemptions and / or Reliefs you use.

Please provide these data as machine-readable as either a CSV or Microsoft Excel file, capable of re-use, and under terms of the Open Government Licence (reuse for any and all purposes, including commercial).

I last requested these data three months ago, and this is a request for your latest updated dataset.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Dudley Triggers, Dudley Council

Dear Gavin Chait,

Information Access Request - Information Request DMBCIR:32910
Description : Complete Non-Residential / Business Property Rates Data

I acknowledge your request for information received on 2023-10-19
15:33:00.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information
requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days (Freedom of
Information Act 2000/Environmental Information Regulations) or 1 month
from receipt (Data Protection access requests).

For your information, the Acts and Regulations define a number of
exemptions which may prevent release of the information you have
requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption
categories apply then the information may not be released. In some
circumstances the decision to release information, or not, will be based
on a public interest test. You will be advised of any considerations,
subsequent decisions and your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to
release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case,
including your rights of appeal.

Unless otherwise requested the information may be provided in electronic
format, paper copy, normal font size. If you require alternative formats,
e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let me know.

There may be a fee payable for this information. This will be considered
and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must
be paid before the information is processed and released. The time limit
for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Information
Governance Officer at Dudley MBC, The Council House, Dudley, West
Midlands, DY1 1HF, telephone 0300 555 8283, e-mail
[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email] .

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information/Environmental Information requests will be subject to
copyright protection. In most cases the copyright will be owned by Dudley
MBC. The copyright in other information may be owned by another person or
organisation, as indicated in the information itself. You are free to use
any information supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial
research purposes. The information may also be used for the purposes of
news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example, by
publishing the information or issuing copies to the public will require
the permission of the copyright owner.

For information where the copyright is owned by the Council details of the
conditions on re-use can be found on our website at www.dudley.gov.uk.

For information where the copyright is owned by another person or
organisation, you must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their
permission.

Yours sincerely,

The Information Governance Team
Council House
Priory Road
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 1HF
[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]

Information Governance, Dudley Council

1 Attachment

Our ref: 32910      Service:  Corporate Information Governance
Team            Direct Line: 01384 815607   Date: 26/10/2023

 

 

Dear Gavin  Chait,

 

Freedom Of Information Act 2000 - Information Request 32910

 

Your request for information received on 19/10/2023 15:33 has now been
considered and our response is below

 

Your Request and Our Response

 

This request can be met by the Business Rates Information - commercial
properties dataset on the internet -
[1]https://www.dudley.gov.uk/business/busin...

 

Please note the following:

· Billing Authority Property Reference.

· Firms Trading Name/ Liable Party -  All personal info removed.

· Full Property Address 

· Account Start Date
· Occupied/Empty Status - only occupied details provided

· Date of occupation/vacancy – only occupied dates provided

· Reliefs and/or exemption categories granted or applied - only occupied
details provided

. Date the relief and / or exemption categories granted or applied - only
occupied details   provided
. Value of the relief – not provided

. Actual annual rates charged – not provided

After careful consideration of all the relevant factors and the provisions
of the legislation, it is considered that disclosure of this information
is not in the public interest.

There may also be an expectation, from the owners and or renters of the
Commercial Property, that the information they provide to the authority is
confidential in nature and we should not further disclose information
(e.g. void properties) that could potentially expose said property to
increased risks. The exemptions that apply are:

• Section 31 (1 ) (a) - Law enforcement – disclosure of addresses of
void property addresses into the public domain are likely to increase
the likelihood of these properties being broken into and used for
criminal activities or used by squatters.
• Section 40 - Personal Information

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a comment or complaint, or request a review of
the decision, you should write to the Freedom of Information Officer at
Dudley MBC, The Council House, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1HF, telephone
0300 555 2345, e-mail [2][Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]. 

 

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by Dudley MBC.

 

The Information Commissioner may be contacted at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

 

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF

Telephone:   0303 123 1113

[3]www.ico.org.uk

 

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests will be subject to copyright protection.  In
most cases the copyright will be owned by Dudley MBC. The copyright in
other information may be owned by another person or organisation, as
indicated in the information itself. You are free to use any information
supplied for your own use, including for non-commercial research purposes.
The information may also be used for the purposes of news reporting.
However, any other type of re-use, for example, by publishing the
information or issuing copies to the public will require the permission of
the copyright owner.

 

For information where the copyright is owned by the Council details of
the conditions on re-use can be found on our website at
[4]www.dudley.gov.uk.

 

For information where the copyright is owned by another person or
organisation, you must apply to the copyright owner to obtain their
permission.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Raj Singh
Information Governance Officer

Corporate Information Governance
Finance & Legal
Dudley Council 
3-5 St James's Road, Dudley, DY1 1HZ
01384 816956
[5]www.dudley.gov.uk

 

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.dudley.gov.uk/business/busin...
2. mailto:[Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.ico.org.uk/
4. http://www.dudley.gov.uk/
5. Open Dudley MBC website
https://www.dudley.gov.uk/