FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 27
November 2024.
 
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and we aim to send a response by 27 December 2024.
 
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 you have
requested we will advise you accordingly in our response.  We will also
provide you with details of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
Should you require anything further please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely
 
Information Rights Team
London Borough of Newham - People at the Heart of Everything We Do
[1][Newham Council request email]
 
 
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FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
We are writing to ask you to clarify your request in relation to Questions
2 and 3.
 
We are unsure as to where you have seen these stated amounts reported but
we require additional information and time frames in order to provide you
with information held in our records.
 
You requested:
 
2. It has been reported that Newham Council purchased 74 homes outside the
borough for £32 million to house 181 individuals. Does this figure include
the renting of additional units? If so, please provide a breakdown,
specifying the proportion of the costs allocated to renting (e.g., 34% is
for rent).
 
Could you please confirm by what is meant by "include the renting of
additional units" and then the breakdown of proportion of costs. It is
unclear what this is specifically in relation to. Please clarify.

3. If the reported £32 million does not include the renting of units
outside the borough, how many places does Newham Council rent outside the
borough to accommodate residents, and what is the associated cost?
 
Does this further qualification of Question 2 now refer to ALL properties
which the Council may rent outside of the borough to be used as temporary
accommodation? If so, please confirm the time frame for this information
to be compiled from - for example - total number of properties rented
outside the borough and associated cost over last month, in last full
financial year? Please confirm the time frame required.
 
 
We will not be able to take this matter further without this extra
information from you. Please let us know by 11 December 2024.
 
If we do not hear from you within the time frame provided, we shall take
it that you do not wish to pursue this request and will consider the
request closed. 
 
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
[1][Newham Council request email]
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 
Disclaimer
This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of
which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of
privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee.
If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error
has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or
disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. Please notify
the author immediately by replying to this email.
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London Borough of Newham
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have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The London Borough
of Newham cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from
the use of this email or attachments.

References

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FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
We are writing to ask you to clarify your request in relation to Questions
2 and 3.
 
We are unsure as to where you have seen these stated amounts reported but
we require additional information and time frames in order to provide you
with information held in our records.
 
You requested:
 
2. It has been reported that Newham Council purchased 74 homes outside the
borough for £32 million to house 181 individuals. Does this figure include
the renting of additional units? If so, please provide a breakdown,
specifying the proportion of the costs allocated to renting (e.g., 34% is
for rent).
 
Could you please confirm by what is meant by "include the renting of
additional units" and then the breakdown of proportion of costs. It is
unclear what this is specifically in relation to. Please clarify.

3. If the reported £32 million does not include the renting of units
outside the borough, how many places does Newham Council rent outside the
borough to accommodate residents, and what is the associated cost?
 
Does this further qualification of Question 2 now refer to ALL properties
which the Council may rent outside of the borough to be used as temporary
accommodation? If so, please confirm the time frame for this information
to be compiled from - for example - total number of properties rented
outside the borough and associated cost over last month, in last full
financial year? Please confirm the time frame required.
 
 
We will not be able to take this matter further without this extra
information from you. Please let us know by 11 December 2024.
 
If we do not hear from you within the time frame provided, we shall take
it that you do not wish to pursue this request and will consider the
request closed. 
 
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
[1][Newham Council request email]
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 
Disclaimer
This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of
which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of
privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee.
If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error
has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or
disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. Please notify
the author immediately by replying to this email.
Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender,
except where the sender specifically states these to be the views of the
London Borough of Newham
This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions
have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The London Borough
of Newham cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from
the use of this email or attachments.

References

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Good Morning

Thank you for your email.

Could you please also advise on the period required for Question 3 as originally requested

(Does this further qualification of Question 2 now refer to ALL properties which the Council may rent outside of the borough to be used as temporary accommodation? If so, please confirm the time frame for this information to be compiled from - for example - total number of properties rented outside the borough and associated cost over last month, in last full financial year? Please confirm the time frame required)

Yours sincerely,

Information Rights Team
London Borough of Newham
Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London E16 2QU
[Newham Council request email]

show quoted sections

Good Morning

Thank you for your further email.

Your clarification received on 10th December was referred to the relevant teams in the Council and they are presently working on compiling the requested information.
We will forward you our full response once this has been completed.

Yours sincerely,

Information Rights Team
London Borough of Newham
Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London E16 2QU
[Newham Council request email]

show quoted sections

 
 
FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe
 
Thank you for your request for information, which following clarification
was due for response today.
 
Please find attached our response.
 
It is noted that you have submitted a request for an Internal Review in
relation to the delay and clarification sought in relation to this
request.
 
Now that the response attached has been provided we will await your
further feedback to determine as to whether you may wish to add any
additional comments or concerns.
 
Your Internal Review is on hold pending your further comments or final
confirmation that you wish to proceed in respect of the delay you have
stated.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Information Rights Team
[1][Newham Council request email]
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 
Disclaimer
This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of
which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of
privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee.
If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error
has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or
disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. Please notify
the author immediately by replying to this email.
Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender,
except where the sender specifically states these to be the views of the
London Borough of Newham
This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions
have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The London Borough
of Newham cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from
the use of this email or attachments.

References

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FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe
 
Thank you for your request for a review received on 10 January 2025. We
are sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle your
request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
 
I can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response by 7 February 2025. There may be circumstances
where more time is required. If this is the case, we will contact you to
explain and provide a reasonable timescale.
 
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
[1][Newham Council request email]
 
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
 
Disclaimer
This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of
which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of
privacy legislation. It is intended solely for the addressee.
If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error
has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or
disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. Please notify
the author immediately by replying to this email.
Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender,
except where the sender specifically states these to be the views of the
London Borough of Newham
This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions
have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The London Borough
of Newham cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from
the use of this email or attachments.

References

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FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Dear Danny Roscoe,

We are contacting you regarding your request for an Internal Review.

We had hoped to be in a positon to respond to you by today. However in
order for us to complete our investigations and ensure we carry out a full
review, we will require additional time.

We will respond to you as soon as possible but by 7^th March 2025 at the
latest.

Thank you for your patience in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Information Rights Team

London Borough of Newham

[1][Newham Council request email]

From: London Borough of Newham <[Newham Council request email]>
Sent: 14 January 2025 12:26
To: [FOI #1208056 email]
Subject: Information request - internal review (ref: 36283701)

FOI/EIR Information request
Our reference: 36283701

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Danny Roscoe

Thank you for your request for a review received on 10 January 2025. We
are sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle your
request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response by 7 February 2025. There may be circumstances
where more time is required. If this is the case, we will contact you to
explain and provide a reasonable timescale.

Yours sincerely

Information Rights Team

[2][Newham Council request email]

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

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This communication is sent by oneSource on behalf of the London Borough of
Havering or the London Borough of Newham. The views expressed in it are
not necessarily the views of any of the councils.

This email and any attachments are intended for the addressee only and may
be confidential. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, copying or alteration
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please
use the reply function to inform us and then permanently delete the email.

The email has been scanned for viruses before it was sent and on leaving
the councils was found to be virus free. Incoming and outgoing emails are
routinely monitored for compliance with the councils’ policies on the use
of electronic communications. Action may be taken against any malicious or
deliberate attempts to infect the councils’ networks.

The information contained in this email may be subject to public
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Unless this
information is legally exempt from disclosure the confidentiality of this
email and your reply cannot be guaranteed. Email is not considered a
secure medium for communication and we advise that you understand and
accept this lack of security when communicating with us by email.

Privacy Notice can be found on our website Data Protection
https://onesource.co.uk/privacy-and-poli... , which outlines your rights
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2. mailto:[newham%20council%20request%20email]

Dear Danny

Freedom of Information Act 2000 – Internal Review

Subject: Accommodations and Homelessness

I write following your request for an Internal Review of the Council’s
response to your enquiry for information held by the Council under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Initial Request made under current case reference and response:

1. How much does Newham Council pay for Anchorage House, Chatham, each
month or year? Please breakdown costs.

We consider that the information requested to be commercially sensitive
and maintain it is to be withheld under section 43 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Under Section 43, information is exempt from
disclosure if releasing it would, or would be likely to prejudice the
commercial interests of any person (including the

public authority holding it).

The information requested relates to a specific commercial transaction
negotiated in confidence with a provider to secure the provision of
temporary accommodation for the Council. We consider that disclosing the
information would be likely to prejudice and weaken Newnham’s commercial
interests and bargaining position in future contractual negotiations of
this kind. The Council requires and maintains a wide portfolio of
temporary accommodation from multiple providers. With the current housing
supply issues felt across the country we believe that disclosure of the
information requested, in conjunction with the specific detail of the
accommodation referred to already being publicly available, would be
likely to impede the Council’s ability to participate competitively in
future active commercial negotiation to obtain the best rates available on
any proposed similar transactions in the procurement of such
accommodation. Ultimately, this could potentially affect the Council’s
income, budget, and essentially, the availability of financial resources
for residents and the delivery of Newham’s services.

In evaluating the public interest test of disclosure, we considered the
benefits of maintaining a strong commercial position with providers in a
demanding and highly

competitive market, whilst recognising the general public interest in the
promotion of transparency, accountability and public understanding of
financial transactions.

We determined that maintaining confidentiality and protecting commercially
sensitive information, the release of which could damage commercial
standing in future negotiations, including that of the local authority was
a priority, especially in the provision of such an essential need as
accommodation for our homeless residents.

As such, we consider that maintaining the exemption outweighs the public
interest in disclosure.

Your reason for requesting an Internal Review

I am writing to request an internal review of your decision to withhold
information regarding how much Newham Council pays for Anchorage House,
Chatham, each month or year, including a breakdown of costs.

Your response cited Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA), claiming that the information is commercially sensitive and its
release would or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests. While
I understand the need to consider commercial sensitivity, I strongly
believe that withholding this information does not outweigh the public
interest in its disclosure.

The expenditure in question involves public funds, and there is a clear
and pressing need for transparency and accountability in how these funds
are being spent. Given the significant levels of homelessness in the
borough and the rising burden of council taxes on residents, it is
essential that the public understands how Newham Council allocates and
prioritizes its financial resources.

The public interest test should favor disclosure in this case, as it
directly pertains to public accountability, responsible financial
management, and trust in local government. These factors outweigh the
potential for commercial prejudice, particularly given that public money
is involved, and residents have a right to scrutinize how it is spent.

I respectfully request that you reconsider the decision and release the
requested information or provide a more detailed explanation of how
disclosure would specifically and materially prejudice commercial
interests, considering the public interest outlined above.

Findings

I have reviewed the response sent to you previously, the public interest
that was carried out and the reasons given by you as to why you are
dissatisfied with the response. 

Having reviewed all of the factors covered in the public interest test and
whether there is a prejudice in its disclosure I am satisfied that the
exemptions have been applied correctly under the FOI Act as the factors
not to disclose outweigh the factors to disclose.  I understand that as a
local authority there is a public interest in disclosing data to be open
and transparent on how public funds are spent and to ensure fairness,
equity and value for money.  However I am of the opinion that if this
information was in the public domain it is very likely to prejudice future
competitive negotiations. The confidentiality and potential impact of
disclosure of the pricing in commercial transactions in relation to
temporary accommodation is of significant current importance due to the
national housing crisis. Due to the serious operational issues surrounding
the limited supply and increasing need for temporary accommodation for
homeless applicants I believe that disclosing information on charges in
reference to an individual supply is very likely to jeopardise the
Councils ability to procure accommodation at the most competitive rates
possible and could put the council at a serious disadvantage in further
negotiations when dealing with other property agents.

Disclosing information about pricing strategies is very likely to also
prejudice a providers’ business model, if an organisation has knowledge of
a providers’ charges, it can exploit this for its own commercial
interests. This would have a detrimental impact on the Council with
regards to other contracts and procurements by distorting the market and
again very likely to prejudice any future competitive negotiations.

In conclusion your appeal has been not upheld.

Should you remain dissatisfied with this response you are afforded the
option of contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office at:
[1]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/

Please quote the reference number ref: 36283701 in any future
communications.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact
us [2][email address]

Kind regards

Angie

Angela Harding | Senior Information Governance Officer

Information Assurance

one source - working on behalf of Havering and Newham councils

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This communication is sent by oneSource on behalf of the London Borough of
Havering or the London Borough of Newham. The views expressed in it are
not necessarily the views of any of the councils.

This email and any attachments are intended for the addressee only and may
be confidential. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, copying or alteration
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please
use the reply function to inform us and then permanently delete the email.

The email has been scanned for viruses before it was sent and on leaving
the councils was found to be virus free. Incoming and outgoing emails are
routinely monitored for compliance with the councils’ policies on the use
of electronic communications. Action may be taken against any malicious or
deliberate attempts to infect the councils’ networks.

The information contained in this email may be subject to public
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Unless this
information is legally exempt from disclosure the confidentiality of this
email and your reply cannot be guaranteed. Email is not considered a
secure medium for communication and we advise that you understand and
accept this lack of security when communicating with us by email.

Privacy Notice can be found on our website Data Protection
https://onesource.co.uk/privacy-and-poli... , which outlines your rights
and how we collect, use, store, delete and protect your personal data.

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