Dear Mr Woodley,

Thank you for your email.

It will be treated as a request within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act: this means that we will send you a full response within 20 working days, either supplying you with the information which you want, or explaining to you why we cannot supply it. If we need any further clarification or there is any problem we will be in touch.

In the meantime if you wish to discuss this further please contact me. It would be helpful if you could quote the log number 801028.

Yours sincerely

Rose Raine
Compliance Officer
Cheshire East Council
Tel 01270 686605
www.cheshireeast.gov.uk

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Dear Mr Woodley

Thank you for email of 12th April 2010 where you requested information about small business rate relief for properties with a rateable value between £5000 and £8000. I attach a list of properties which fall into the category specified in your request.

You have also submitted a request on 15th April concerning commercial properties with rateable values between £4000 and £8000 who are in receipt of small business rate relief.

I also attach a second excel spreadsheet which provides this information.

I note that over the past six months you have submitted a number of similar requests to the council. Under section 14(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), where a public authority has previously complied with a request for information which was made by any person, it is not obliged to comply with a subsequent identical or substantially similar request from that person unless a reasonable interval has elapsed between compliance and the previous request and the making of the current request. Our records show you have previously submitted requests on 4th; 8;th and
9th December 2009, 4th January 2010, 12th and 15th April 2010.

Section 12 of the Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for local government is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2.5 working days in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting the information.

As we estimate that it has taken us in excess of 2.5 working days to determine appropriate material and locate, retrieve and extract the information in reference to your requests it is with regret that I have to inform you that in future we will not respond to any requests submitted by you relating to financial information held by the council.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review, under the Freedom of Information Act you should write to the Compliance Unit, Cheshire East Council, Westfields. Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 1HZ

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely
I

Rose Raine
Compliance Officer
Cheshire East Council
Tel 01270 686605

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