Removal of art work by EDDC

The request was partially successful.

Dear East Devon District Council,

I make this request under the FOI Act and Environmental Regs

At some time between the evening of Wednesday 17th August and 10:00 Thursday 18th August 2016, a number of pieces of attractive artwork were removed from the panels which boarded up the former DJ's diner in Queen's Drive, Exmouth. I understand that they had only been placed on the building very recently.

The cloth artwork had been welcomed by many residents as a measure which brightened up the unattractive long boarded up building. It was a positive enhancement to what you have turned into a run down area.

The artwork included a contact telephone number for anyone to use if they had any objection to the work being displayed.

Will you please provide the names and positions of the council officers and or council members who made the decision and instructed staff to remove the items of artwork from the building, and their reasons for doing so.

Will you confirm what time the artwork was removed on 18th August.

Will you please also provide information as to whether or not any EDDC staff made contact with the telephone number on the artwork, if yes, to include the time and date, who made the call and whether it was procative or whether it followed any contact by any of the artists or their representatives. If the number on the artwork was not contacted, please explain why such a courtesty was not extended to the group who clearly care enough about Exmouth to have gone to the trouble of cheering a run down area up

This is a simple request so I would expect the council to show the same promptness in providing a response (as is required by the Act) as they have shown in removing a popular art installation.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

tim todd

East Devon District Council

Thank you for submitting a request for information. We will respond to your request as quickly as possible, within the 20 working day statutory deadline under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

For updates on this case, please quote your unique reference number 101000599248 .

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East Devon District Council
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East Devon District Council

Dear Mr Todd,

Thank you for your request for information. Please find the response to your query below.

You asked for the following information:
Will you please provide the names and positions of the council officers and or council members who made the decision and instructed staff to remove the items of artwork from the building, and their reasons for doing so.

Will you confirm what time the artwork was removed on 18th August.

Will you please also provide information as to whether or not any EDDC staff made contact with the telephone number on the artwork, if yes, to include the time and date, who made the call and whether it was procative or whether it followed any contact by any of the artists or their representatives. If the number on the artwork was not contacted, please explain why such a courtesty was not extended to the group who clearly care enough about Exmouth to have gone to the trouble of cheering a run down area up
...................................................................................................................................

Please find below a copy of a statement below which constitutes the information held in respect of the points you have raised:

"On Wednesday 17 August, East Devon's StreetScene team was alerted to some artwork that had been attached to the DJ's Café building in Exmouth. East Devon District Council had no prior knowledge that this action was taking place, nor had permission been sought from us to do so.

"The following day, Thursday 18 August, StreetScene officers removed the artwork and took it to the council's Camperdown depot in Exmouth, for it to be stored safely until arrangements could be made for it to be collected by the person who had put the artwork up.

"The artwork was then collected by the artist during the same day. An officer rang the telephone number supplied for the artist and explained the council's approach regarding the unauthorised use of council owned property for display purposes.

"The council is willing to consider requests from local artists to display appropriate artwork in locations owned by East Devon District Council. However, in this case, no permission had been sought by the artist and the artwork had been affixed to a council owned property without the consent of the council. In these situations the council will always remove artwork and, where possible, will keep it safe until it can be returned to the person responsible for it."

I hope this information is helpful.

If you feel dissatisfied with our response to your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review at [email address]

You may also contact the Information Commissioner for advice at www.ico.gov.uk

Regards

Kate Symington
Information and Complaints Officer
East Devon District Council

01395 517417
www.eastdevon.gov.uk

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Dear East Devon District Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of East Devon District Council's handling of my FOI request 'Removal of art work by EDDC'.

The information provided does not answer the request that was made . Please address the request fully.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

tim todd

East Devon District Council

Thank you for submitting a request for an internal review. We will respond to your request where reasonably possible, within 20 working days.

For updates on this case, please quote your unique reference number 101000605103 .

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Customer Service Centre

East Devon District Council

Web: www.eastdevon.gov.uk

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Henry Gordon Lennox, East Devon District Council

Mr Todd,

 

I am sorry that you feel dissatisfied with our response to your request
for information.

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the council is required to provide
copies of recorded information held in respect of requests for
information. We are not under any obligation to create this information if
it is not held at the time of the request.

 

In response to your request, we have answered as follows:

 

Will you please provide the names and positions of the council officers
and or council members who made the decision and instructed staff to
remove the items of artwork from the building, and their reasons for doing
so.

The reason for removing the artwork was included in the statement
provided.

We do not hold a record of which specific officer requested staff to
remove the items but our statement indicates that officers from our
StreetScene team removed it and why they did so.

 

Will you confirm what time the artwork was removed on 18th August.

We have no record of the specific time of day that the artwork was removed

 

Will you please also provide information as to whether or not any EDDC
staff made contact with the telephone number on the artwork, if yes, to
include the time and date, who made the call and whether it was procative
or whether it followed any contact by any of the artists or their
representatives. If the number on the artwork was not contacted, please
explain why such a courtesty was not extended to the group who clearly
care enough about Exmouth to have gone to the trouble of cheering a run
down area up

The statement provided explains that the council made contact with the
artist but we have no further information about the content of that
discussion as details of the call were not recorded.

 

You have asked about the process relating to the removal of artwork
recently placed on a building in Exmouth and we have provided you with the
information we hold in respect of this incident. I confirm that no further
information is held which would constitute an answer to your questions.

 

If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to
approach the Information Commissioner [1]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

 

HENRY GORDON LENNOX

 

Strategic Lead - Legal, Licensing and Democratic Services

East Devon District Council

Tel: 01395 517401

Ext: 2601

Email: [email address]

 

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References

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1. http://www.ico.org.uk/