[1]logo_engInformation Governance  

Community & Communications  Services

Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth,
PO1 2AL

Telephone:    023 9268 8482

Reference: FOI2019/0718

Dear Ms Niamir

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thank you for your request for information received on 13^th May 2019.

Your request is being considered and, subject to the points made below,
you will receive the information requested as promptly as possible within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

If we need to obtain more information from you in order to understand what
information you require, we will contact you. If this is the case, the 20
days time limit will not commence until your request has been clarified.

The Act defines a number of exemptions that may prevent release of certain
information.  The City Council will consider whether any of these
exemptions apply and, where required by the Act, whether it is in the
public interest to release the information.  If we have to make a public
interest test, the 20 day time limit might be extended. We will inform you
if the time scale has to be extended and if any information is withheld
and of your rights of appeal.

The City Council would like to make you aware that disclosure of
information obtained through FOIA is a disclosure into the public domain.

The City Council’s standard approach is to provide the information in the
form in which we hold it.  If you require alternative formats, e.g. audio,
large print, etc. or a different language, please let me know and we will
provide it if reasonably practicable to do so. If your request is a
question and we do not hold the answer in recorded form we will try and
provide an answer where we are able unless it requires the creation of new
information.

There may be a fee payable for this information request and we will send
you a Fees Notice if this is the case. Any fee must be paid before the
request is provided.  The time between the issue of the Fees Notice and
receipt of payment is excluded from the calculation of the 20 working day
time limit.

Any personal information you provide in relation to this request will only
be used for the purposes of processing your request for information.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Corporate
Information Governance Officer at Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices,
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL, telephone 023 9268 8482,
e-mail [2][email address].

Yours sincerely

Natasha King

Corporate Information Governance Officer

show quoted sections

[1]FOI image

Customer, Community and Democratic Services
Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AL
Telephone: 023 9268 8482
Fax: 023 9284 1327

Reference: FOI/2019/718

Dear Ms Niamir

Further to your below request for information, we need some clarification
from you so that we can provide you with an appropriate response.

- Can you please confirm whether your request relates to PCC owned stock
or Privately Owned Properties in the City, or both?

If you wish to telephone the office (on the number above) to talk through
this clarification, I would be more than happy to discuss the matter with
you.

The normal time limit for responding to a request for information, under
the Freedom of Information Act is 20 working days from the day after it is
received. However, where an authority reasonably requires further
information or clarification before it is able to respond to a request,
section 10(6)(b) of the FOIA specifies that the 20-day period for
compliance with the request begins when the authority receives the
information it requires to identify and locate the information requested.

The City Council would like to make you aware that if we do not receive
clarification within 30 days your request for information will be closed.

The Act defines a number of exemptions that may prevent release of some or
all of the information that you have requested. The City Council will
consider whether any of these exemptions apply and, where required by the
Act, whether it is in the public interest to release the information. If
we have to make a public interest test, the 20 working day time limit
might be extended. You will be informed if any information is withheld and
of your rights of appeal.

There may be a fee payable for this information and you will be informed
if this is the case. Any fee must be paid before the request is processed
and the information released. The 20 working day time clock will stop
until the fee is paid.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Corporate
Information Governance Officer at Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices,
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL, telephone 023 9268 8482,
e-mail [2][email address].

Yours sincerely

Natasha King

Corporate Information Governance Officer

From: FOI
Sent: 14 May 2019 13:48
To: 'Ashleigh Niamir' <[FOI #576208 email]>; FOI
<[Portsmouth City Council request email]>
Subject: FOI2019/0718 - Long Term Empty Properties

[3]logo_engInformation Governance  

Community & Communications  Services

Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth,
PO1 2AL

Telephone:    023 9268 8482

Reference: FOI2019/0718

Dear Ms Niamir

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thank you for your request for information received on 13^th May 2019.

Your request is being considered and, subject to the points made below,
you will receive the information requested as promptly as possible within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

If we need to obtain more information from you in order to understand what
information you require, we will contact you. If this is the case, the 20
days time limit will not commence until your request has been clarified.

The Act defines a number of exemptions that may prevent release of certain
information.  The City Council will consider whether any of these
exemptions apply and, where required by the Act, whether it is in the
public interest to release the information.  If we have to make a public
interest test, the 20 day time limit might be extended. We will inform you
if the time scale has to be extended and if any information is withheld
and of your rights of appeal.

The City Council would like to make you aware that disclosure of
information obtained through FOIA is a disclosure into the public domain.

The City Council’s standard approach is to provide the information in the
form in which we hold it.  If you require alternative formats, e.g. audio,
large print, etc. or a different language, please let me know and we will
provide it if reasonably practicable to do so. If your request is a
question and we do not hold the answer in recorded form we will try and
provide an answer where we are able unless it requires the creation of new
information.

There may be a fee payable for this information request and we will send
you a Fees Notice if this is the case. Any fee must be paid before the
request is provided.  The time between the issue of the Fees Notice and
receipt of payment is excluded from the calculation of the 20 working day
time limit.

Any personal information you provide in relation to this request will only
be used for the purposes of processing your request for information.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Corporate
Information Governance Officer at Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices,
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL, telephone 023 9268 8482,
e-mail [4][email address].

Yours sincerely

Natasha King

Corporate Information Governance Officer

show quoted sections

[1]logo_engInformation Governance, Community & Communications Service

Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AL

Telephone:    023 9268 8482

Our Ref: FOI2019/0718

Dear Ms Niamir

INFORMATION REQUEST – FOI2019/0718 - Long Term Empty Properties

Thank you for your request for information received on 13^th May 2019,
which was considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 

In accordance with the Act, Portsmouth City Council confirms it holds the
information.

YOUR REQUEST & OUR RESPONSE:

1)    Can the council confirm their current number of Long Term Empty
Properties as of the 8th May (those domestic properties which have been
empty for six months or older) - 1218

2)    What work is the council currently undertaking or planning to
undertake around reducing their long term empty properties in 2019? - A
new strategy to help tackle empty properties from 2019 - 2024 was approved
in March 2019. This includes proactively working with owners through
collaboration and, where required, enforcement.

3)    During 2018 did you undertake any work around reducing your Long
Term Empty Properties. If you did was this done using internal resource or
a third party? - Works to reduce the number of empty properties in
Portsmouth did occur in 2018 and it was carried out within Portsmouth City
Council's Private Sector Housing

4)    If yes is the answer to question three, did the council review every
single long term property - The Council, in 2018, worked to reduce all
empty properties that were complained about to Private Sector Housing.
This did not mean that every long term empty property was reviewed.

5)    Does the reduction of empty homes in the council area form part of
your Housing strategy? - The Council have an empty property strategy.
There is not currently a Housing strategy but the empty property strategy
does link into other strategies such as the Homelessness strategy.

6)    Does the council have a budget in place to help support the
reduction of empty properties? - Yes

7)    How much did the council spend on temporary accommodation during
2018? - £664,000.

8)    Does the council offer financial support /loans to Long Term Empty
property owners to help them bring properties back into use? - Yes. There
is an empty property loan that an owner can apply for to remove hazards
within an empty property to bring it back into use. The property must be
empty for more than 12 months and it must be reoccupied within 6 months of
the works being completed.

Under the Re- Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (SI
2015/1415) the supplied information may not be re-used without obtaining
the permission of Portsmouth City Council.

We trust that our response fulfils your request, however, you have the
right to appeal against this decision or to complain about our treatment
of your request.  If you wish to do so, please set out in writing your
grounds of complaint and send to the Corporate Information Governance
Officer at Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square,
Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL, telephone 023 9268 8482, e-mail
[2][email address].

Should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints decision you
may wish to follow the Portsmouth City Council’s Compliments and
Complaints procedure which can be found on the Portsmouth City Council
website or by contacting the Civic Offices.

Once these processes have been exhausted you have a further right of
appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

[3]https://ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Natasha King

Corporate Information Governance Officer

From: FOI
Sent: 14 May 2019 13:48
To: 'Ashleigh Niamir' <[FOI #576208 email]>; FOI
<[Portsmouth City Council request email]>
Subject: FOI2019/0718 - Long Term Empty Properties

[4]logo_engInformation Governance  

Community & Communications  Services

Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth,
PO1 2AL

Telephone:    023 9268 8482

Reference: FOI2019/0718

Dear Ms Niamir

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thank you for your request for information received on 13^th May 2019.

Your request is being considered and, subject to the points made below,
you will receive the information requested as promptly as possible within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.

If we need to obtain more information from you in order to understand what
information you require, we will contact you. If this is the case, the 20
days time limit will not commence until your request has been clarified.

The Act defines a number of exemptions that may prevent release of certain
information.  The City Council will consider whether any of these
exemptions apply and, where required by the Act, whether it is in the
public interest to release the information.  If we have to make a public
interest test, the 20 day time limit might be extended. We will inform you
if the time scale has to be extended and if any information is withheld
and of your rights of appeal.

The City Council would like to make you aware that disclosure of
information obtained through FOIA is a disclosure into the public domain.

The City Council’s standard approach is to provide the information in the
form in which we hold it.  If you require alternative formats, e.g. audio,
large print, etc. or a different language, please let me know and we will
provide it if reasonably practicable to do so. If your request is a
question and we do not hold the answer in recorded form we will try and
provide an answer where we are able unless it requires the creation of new
information.

There may be a fee payable for this information request and we will send
you a Fees Notice if this is the case. Any fee must be paid before the
request is provided.  The time between the issue of the Fees Notice and
receipt of payment is excluded from the calculation of the 20 working day
time limit.

Any personal information you provide in relation to this request will only
be used for the purposes of processing your request for information.

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Corporate
Information Governance Officer at Portsmouth City Council, Civic Offices,
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AL, telephone 023 9268 8482,
e-mail [5][email address].

Yours sincerely

Natasha King

Corporate Information Governance Officer

show quoted sections