Dear Sir/Madam

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST X01-6501

 

We acknowledge your request for information received on 11 July 2017.

 

We are considering your request and you should receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.

 

We will try to supply information in electronic format by email, but if
this is not possible we will let you know. If you have any special
requirements e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let us
know.

 

The Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the
information you have requested. Before we provide the information we will
consider whether it is proper to release it and if any of the exemption
categories do apply then the information will not be released. We will
tell you if this is the case, and you will have a right 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. We will tell you if this is the case.

 

You may have to pay a fee for this information. We will consider this and
let you know. If so you will have to pay the fee before we process and
release the information.

 

If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me directly. You
can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Telephone: 02920 678400 Fax: 02920 678399

Email: [email address]

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

 

Yours sincerely

 

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Gwasanaethau Gweithredol a Phartneriaethol  |  Operational and Partnership
Services

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

 

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Rhowch wybod i ni os mai Cymraeg
yw eich dewis iaith.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh. Please let us know if your language
choice is Welsh.

 

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Chait,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST X01- 6501

 

We refer to your email dated 12 July 2017 which contained a request for
information as set out in italics below.  Following consideration of your
request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I respond
to each point as follows:

 

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 a complete and
up-to-date list of all business (non-residential) property rates data for
your local authority, and including the following fields:

 

- Billing Authority Reference Code (linking the property to the VOA
database reference)

- Firm's Trading Name (i.e. property occupant)

- Full Property Address (Number, Street, Postal Code, Town)

- Occupied / Vacant

- Date of Occupation / Vacancy

 

Please find the information in the attached spreadsheet.

 

- Actual annual rates charged (in Pounds)

 

Whilst we can confirm that we hold the information requested, we have
estimated that the cost of complying with your request will exceed £450. 
We have made this calculation in accordance with Regulation 4 of the
Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees
Regulations) 2004. This calculation was based on an hourly rate of £25.00
for the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting information involved
in the processing of your request.

 

Under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act we are not obliged to
comply with a request for information if we estimate that the cost of
compliance would exceed £450.  This letter is therefore a formal Refusal
Notice under section 17(5) of the Act.

 

To provide the actual rates payable for each account would involve going
into each of the 4369 accounts individually which would take a substantial
length of time and in excess of 18 hours to complete.

 

It may be that we can supply some information if you can refine or reduce
your request to more manageable proportions and resubmit your request so
that it brings the cost within the appropriate limit.

 

Alternatively, if you wish to pay a full search and retrieval fee, we may
be prepared to consider your request under Section 13 of the Freedom of
Information Act which allows us to charge a fee where the estimated costs
exceed the £450.00 limit. 

 

I hope this response satisfies your request. If you are dissatisfied with
the handling of the request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you
have the right to request a review of the Council’s response to your
request for information.  If you wish to request a review, please write
to:

 

Mr P A Jolley

Corporate Director, Operational and

Partnership Services and Monitoring Officer

Bridgend County Borough Council

Civic Offices,

Angel Street

Bridgend, CF31 4WB

 

within 28 days of the date of this letter.  If you remain dissatisfied
with the outcome of that review, you may seek further recourse by lodging
an appeal with the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales

2^nd Floor

Churchill House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Tel:  02920 678400

Fax:  02920 678399

E:mail : [1][email address]

Website:  [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

--

Freedom of Information Office

Bridgend County Borough Council

Level 2, Civic Offices

Angel Street

Bridgend

CF31 4WB

Tel: 01656 643565

Email: [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]