This F.O.I. request has been received in the Town Hall Mailbox and forwarded for your attention.

Kind regards
 
Janette Brookes
Information Services
Barnsley Connects
Customer & Neighbourhood Services
Worsbrough PCT

Tel: 01226 648080 
[email address]

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Dear Ms Whittle

In response to your FOI request, reference 1429, I would inform you that we have more than one Freepost/Business Reply address. The list below gives you them all, although the main 'Town Hall' one is Corporate Mail Room and Benefits and Taxation PO Box 634 Barnsley S70 9GG.

List of Freepost/Business Reply addresses used by Barnsley Council:

* Disabled Children's Team
* HR / Payroll
* Corporate Mail Room and Benefits and Taxation PO Box 634 Barnsley S70 9GG
* Business Support
* Wellington House
* Countryside
* Crematorium
* Drug and Alcohol Team
* Learning Services - Longcar
* Highways and Engineering
* Central Call
* School Meals
* Smithies.

However, the council is not prepared to disclose the Business Reply Licences for all these addresses via an open website and we claim Exemption 43, Prejudicial to commercial interests.

The rationale behind this is that the council controls the supply of pre-printed Business Reply envelopes which it supplies to customers, and then pays the postage on them. However Royal Mail may accept handwritten envelopes (the sender's own) and then not only charge the council the cost of postage but also a substantial surcharge because the envelope is not a standard Barnsley Council one.

I am sure you will appreciate that the council has a duty to protect taxpayers' money and should not be expected to stand the cost of all written communication that customers send. We should not make available (worldwide) information which could result in the council incurring excessive additional costs.

I hope that the information we are able to supply is of use to you.

Kevin Smith
Corporate Communications Manager
Barnsley MBC
(01226) 773442
07967 500630
[email address]
www.barnsley.gov.uk

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