Social housing and Right-to-Buy sales Data Request

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Croydon Borough Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Croydon Borough Council,

My name is Leon Beaufils and I am a third year economics student at the University of Warwick.

As part of a year-long university research project in applied economics, I am studying the evolution of Croydon Council's social housing stock. The project is supervised by Thiemo Fetzer, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick.

I came across the available data on aggregate social housing stock and Right-to-Buy sales at local authority level. However, more detailed information would be of great assistance in answering my research question. Therefore, I hereby submit a Freedom of Information request. I would like access to more detailed data, i.e. at a finer geographical level, on social housing stock and Right-to-Buy sales in the Croydon Council area for the period 1980-2021.

Thank you for your time in considering my request.

Yours faithfully,

Leon Beaufils,
Economics student at the University of Warwick.

croydon@infreemation.co.uk, Croydon Borough Council

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

DEAR Leon Beaufils

 

Freedom of information request - FOI/6523

 

Subject: Social housing and Right-to-Buy sales Data Request

 

We are just emailing you to update you on your open Information Request.
We are currently in the process of updating our systems and part of this
update will mean that your open Information Request has been assigned a
new reference: FOI/6523

 

Thank you in advanced for your patients patience and whilst we will
continue top process your request. We will issue a response or update to
you as soon as we are able.

 

Unfortunately, the Council is currently experiencing a delay in our
response times due to demand and resource. As an organisation we are aware
of our legal duties under the legislation and are making every effort to
improve our position and respond to requests within our statutory
timeframes as quickly as possible. All requests are being monitored and
continually reviewed to provide you with an expected date for disclosure.
London Borough of Croydon takes its role as a Data Controller seriously
and would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding
whilst we improve our service to you.

 
Kind Regard

Information Management Team

 

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

 

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

croydon@infreemation.co.uk, Croydon Borough Council

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

Dear Leon Beaufils

FOI/6523

Subject: Social housing and Right-to-Buy sales Data Request

 

Freedom of Information request 

 

Thank you for your recent request for information. This is to inform you
that we are unable to answer your request based on what you have
requested.

 

Could you please clarify in greater detail exactly the information you are
requesting.

 

Specifically,

Is the FOI request to do with the council listing on all properties that
tenants have bought under the RTB scheme by postcode.

Are you seeking to have a listing whereby postcode we have social housing?

The service has come back to use and mentioned the data accessible does
not date back to 1980 however they could potentially find data for the
last 10 years.

 

Kindly be informed that the time for processing your request stops until
we hear from you.  Please quote the above reference in your correspondence
with us. In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the
case, either myself or a colleague will let you know the likely charges
before proceeding.

 

If we do not hear from you within the next 20 working days we will close
your request.

 

Please provide your clarification by responding to this email. Please do
not amend the Subject line.

Kind Regard

 

Information Management Team

 

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Dear [email address],

Ideally, the data would follow the following format:
Variable of interests: Properties sold under Right-to-Buy and Social/Council housing stock
Geographical unit: As granular as possible (eg. full postcode or full address)
Time unit: As granular as possible (eg. Quarter or Year)
Period covered: As large as possible between 1980 and present time.
Area covered: As large as possible (eg. all properties managed by the Council at any point in time)

Thank you for your time in considering my request.

Yours faithfully,

Leon Beaufils,
Economics student at the University of Warwick.

croydon@infreemation.co.uk, Croydon Borough Council

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

DEAR Leon Beaufils

 

Freedom of information request - FOI/6776

 

Subject: Social housing and Right-to-Buy sales Data Request

 

We are just emailing you to update you on your open Information Request.
We are currently in the process of updating our systems and part of this
update will mean that your open Information Request has been assigned a
new reference: FOI/6776

 

Thank you in advanced for your patients patience and whilst we will
continue top process your request. We will issue a response or update to
you as soon as we are able.

 

Unfortunately, the Council is currently experiencing a delay in our
response times due to demand and resource. As an organisation we are aware
of our legal duties under the legislation and are making every effort to
improve our position and respond to requests within our statutory
timeframes as quickly as possible. All requests are being monitored and
continually reviewed to provide you with an expected date for disclosure.
London Borough of Croydon takes its role as a Data Controller seriously
and would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding
whilst we improve our service to you.

 
Kind Regard

Information Management Team

 

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

 

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

croydon@infreemation.co.uk, Croydon Borough Council

1 Attachment

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

Dear Leon Beaufils

Request FOI/6776

Freedom of Information Request

Your request has been considered under the provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act. Specifically, you have requested the following
information:

 

I came across the available data on aggregate social housing stock and
Right-to-Buy sales at local authority level. However, more detailed
information would be of great assistance in answering my research
question. Therefore, I hereby submit a Freedom of Information request. I
would like access to more detailed data, i.e. at a finer geographical
level, on social housing stock and Right-to-Buy sales in the Croydon
Council area for the period 1980-2021.

Ideally, the data would follow the following format:

Variable of interests: Properties sold under Right-to-Buy and
Social/Council housing stock

Geographical unit: As granular as possible (eg. full postcode or full
address)

Time unit: As granular as possible (eg. Quarter or Year)

Period covered: As large as possible between 1980 and present time.

Area covered: As large as possible (eg. all properties managed by the
Council at any point in time)

 

The attached is as requested :

Properties sold under Right-to-Buy and Social/Council housing stock- as
requested

By year or quarter – as requested

Since as far back as you have access to the present time – we hold the
files on our drives from 2015 to the 2022 year the listing is per post
code.

We have provided only the first part of the post codes as when combined
with data in the public domain and/or information provided in the rest of
this response could result in the identity of the occupier being revealed,
which is personal information. Withholding of personal data as defined by
the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, falls within the exemption
in Section 40 (2) (a) (i) (Personal Information) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. This aspect of your request is therefore exempt from
disclosure by virtue of Section 40 (2) (a) (i) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Disclosure of this information is likely to lead to
a breach of the provisions of the DPA as we do not have the consent of the
data subject to disclose the information to you neither do we consider it
reasonable in all the circumstances to disclose the information to you
without the consent of the data subject as we owe the data subject a duty
of confidentiality.

It is important to remember that when information is released under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000, it is considered released to the wider
public. Any such disclosure of personal information would not be compliant
with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act you may ask for an internal review. 
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response. 
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:

 

Email:        [Croydon Borough Council request email]

Writing:     Information Team

London Borough of Croydon

Bernard Weatherill House

7^th Floor - Zone B

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

 

Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.

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:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire   SK9 5AF

 

Yours sincerely 

Croydon Council

 

Dear Council,

Thank you for your kind reply.

Could you please share the full postcode or full address of all the council properties sold within the council geographical area with the sale date for the period 1980-2023?

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Leon Beaufils