Thankyou for your email to the Information Rights Team at Warwickshire
County Council. 
If we need further information to deal with your request, we will contact
you.
Kind regards 
Information Rights Team
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legislation.

 
Information request
Our reference: 7569108

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Dear Mark House
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 7 February
2022. We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000
 
Under our normal statutory requirements we are required to provide you
with a response within 20 working days of the receipt of your request.
Therefore we aim to send a response by 7 March 2022. 
 

In some case, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we will
send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.

 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your right to request an internal review and to
complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
  
 

 Kind regards

Bruce Green
Information Rights Officer

Information Management Team
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412211

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

 
Information request
Our reference: 7569108

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear Mark House
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 7 February
2022. We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000
 
Under our normal statutory requirements we are required to provide you
with a response within 20 working days of the receipt of your request.
Therefore we aim to send a response by 7 March 2022. 
 

In some case, a fee may be payable. If we decide a fee is payable, we will
send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before
proceeding with your request.

 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your right to request an internal review and to
complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
  
 

 Kind regards

Sarah Winnett
Business Support Team Leader

Communities and Resources Hub - Team 1, Business & Customer Services
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412888

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

 
Information request
Our reference: 7569108

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear Mark House
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Please accept my apologies for the delay in sending you your response.  We
are currently working on this request and the information will be sent out
as soon as possible. 

 Kind regards

Sarah Winnett
Business Support Team Leader

Communities and Resources Hub - Team 1, Business & Customer Services
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412888

 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

 
Information request
Our reference: 7569108

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Dear Mark House
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your email of 12th March.
 
May I again apologise for the delay in providing you with a response.

I have made enquiries on the progress of your request and been informed
that it is currently being dealt with by the team. We will forward this to
you as soon as it has been completed.

Kind regards

Sarah Winnett
Business Support Team Leader

Communities and Resources Hub - Team 1, Business & Customer Services
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL
Tel: 01926 412888

 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

 
Information request
Our reference: 7569108

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Our ref: 7569108

Date: 23 March 2022

Dear Mark House

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Your request for information has been considered by Warwickshire County
Council under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by
Warwickshire County Council. However, please be advised that we are unable
to provide the information.

This is because we consider the information is exempt under section 43
(Commercial Interests) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Please see below for further details and explanation.

You asked us for the following information:

Details of meetings and minutes regarding the sale of Marle Hall.
 
As Marle Hall and its guide price are now in the public domain, please can
you send information regarding details of meetings and minutes regarding
the sale of Marle Hall.

This information is of great public interest as is the minutes for the
closure of Marle Hall, this is evidenced by the 7000 person petition from
local residents. 

Following Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet decision of 8 July 2021 to
close Marle Hall on a permanent basis from Friday 22 October 2021, we
confirm that on 14 October 2021, Cabinet declared the Marle Hall property
surplus to the Council's requirements and authorised its disposal on the
open market.

We confirm that Marle Hall was sold by auction on 2 March 2022, subject to
contract. The Council expects completion of the sale to be finalised by
mid-April 2022.

The agenda (including background papers) and minutes of this Cabinet
meeting were exempt from publication on the Council's website under
Schedule 12A,

Part 1, paragraph 3 of the Local Government Act 1972 because
these documents contained information relating to the financial or
business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding
that information).

The agenda and minutes are exempt from disclosure under section 43 of the
FOIA (prejudice to commercial interests).  Section 43(2) exempts
information where disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the
commercial interests of any legal person (including the public authority
itself).

The background report contains commercially sensitive details of the
Council's costings and information about the potential sale and/or
disposal of the site.  We consider that complying with the request would
prejudice or would be likely to prejudice the Council's commercial
interests within the meaning of section 43(2) of the FOIA. 

This exemption is subject to the public interest test.  This means that
the Council can only withhold the information under section 43 if the
public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public
interest in releasing it. The starting point must be to apply a
presumption in favour of disclosure.

The public interest factors in favour of disclosing the information
include promoting transparency and the accountability of the Council, the
significant interest of residents, schools, parents and pupils in the
closure of Marle Hall, and promoting public understanding and scrutiny of
the Council's decision-making processes.

The public interest arguments in favour of withholding the information
include the importance of protecting the Council's ability to deliberate
freely, frankly and effectively when information is exempt from
publication under the Local Government Act 1972, the fact that information
relating to the closure of Marle Hall is publicly available on the
Council's website here
[1]https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/marlehal... the public interest
in protecting the public purse and ensuring that the Council is not
hampered in its business affairs by disclosing commercial-in-confidence
material.

Having weighed the factors in favour of disclosure against the factors in
favour of withholding the information, we are satisfied that the public
interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in
disclosing the information.

We will refer your request for an "Internal Review" on the basis that you
are unhappy with the handling of the request, as stated in your emails.

We have not reported the delayed response to the ICO at this time, as we
will refer the delay to be dealt with under our Internal Review.
procedures in the first instance.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Kind regards

Sarah Winnett
Business Support Team Leader
[2][email address]
Communities and Resources Hub - Team 1, Business & Customer Services
Shire Hall
Warwick
CV34 4RL

 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/marlehal...
2. mailto:[email address]