Dear Stockport Borough Council,

A local resident sent me this:-

"Gardeners have been inside the school grounds this week removing plants which they had put there for landscaping. What a waste of tax payers' money; if the council had brains we would all have to run for cover. They have also removed one of the fences they had out around the nursery for what reason who knows. We are now totally blocked in, as somebody has put a padlock on the gate at Harcourt Street and it looks like it is only them who have a key."

Could you please let me know why the plants have been removed, what is the issue regarding the fences around the nursery and why has the gate been locked at Harcourt Street denying residents access to the rear of their own properties?

If you claim this request to be vexatious, I shall send a formal complaint to every member of the Information Commission Board and subsequently take the matter to tribunal if necessary. These are important issues for local residents who have had their lives turned upside down by this very-dubious-on-all-fronts development. Each request has to be considered on its own merit. A person cannot be considered vexatious. You have to take into account the recent Dransfield ruling and consider information subsequently coming to light when refusing a request on grounds of vexatiousness. I was right about the contamination, I was right about the missing £5 million of funding, evidence of which would be sent to every member of the IC Board with any appeal against what I presume will be your refusal. This is a Condem Council, ostensibly committed to openness and honestly. If only!

Yours faithfully,

Sheila Oliver

Dear Stockport Borough Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Stockport Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Toxic waste dump school - removal of landscaping plants and locking of gate denying access of residents to the rear of their own properties'.

I would like an internal review of this refusal. In recent weeks a lady in her eighties collapsed at home and the ambulance men were unable to reach her and submitted an incident report about this matter. If this lady collapses again and no-one can reach her, then I assume Mr. Boylan and Mr Khan would potentially face corporate manslaughter charges. Please carry out an internal review and I shall forward your response and presumably refusal to respond to the Council's insurers, who would possibly be footing the bill for any lawsuits brought against the Council should this shocking incident be repeated. There was no access from any other part of the house. I did warn the Council that this sort of thing would happen and you branded me vexatious, which is defamation of character.

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

Yours faithfully,

Sheila Oliver