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Making Requests - Hints and Tips

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The following tips and guidance are aimed at helping you get the information you want from the Council:  

  • If it is a routine enquiry and you know who is likely to have the information you require try contacting the service first - this route is likely to be quicker;

  • The information you are requesting may be available via the Council’s Publication Scheme so it is worth checking first (information already available via the Council’s website can be made available in alternative formats on request although a charge may be applicable for doing this);

  • Please be as clear as you can when making a request!   You don't have to tell us why you want the information but providing as much detail as possible helps us to focus on the information you require.  A request asking for "all emails and correspondence to/from a Council officer" or "all documents relating to" is too general and we would need to seek clarification from you as it is not a request for specific information.;

  • A request submitted to the Council under the Freedom of Information Act must be in writing and be for information not opinion and it is important to remember that the Act provides a right of access to information not documents;

  • A request submitted to the Council under the Environmental Information Regulations does not need to be in writing and can be made by telephone or in person.  If you need assistance with making your request please contact the Information Compliance Team;

  • There is a limit to the amount of time a Council officer can spend on complying with your request - currently that limit is 18 hours;

  • When deciding whether or not your request is likely to exceed the limit the Council can take the following into account - how long it will take the Council to confirm whether it holds the information, the amount of time required to locate the information or document, the work required to retrieve the information or document, the time required to extract the information from a document containing it;

  • Try to avoid making several requests for similar information.  The Council can add together the total time spent on similar requests for information, made by the same person within 60 days - this is called aggregation.  (If it exceeds or is likely to exceed the 18 hour limit the Council is within its rights to refuse the request so it is best to plan the first request as thoroughly as you can);

  • The Council can refuse to respond to certain requests if it is not clear what is being requested or if the request itself is 'vexatious'.  If a request is vexatious it may be the latest in in a series of requests, which may impose a significant burden and: is designed to cause disruption or annoyance, has the effect of harassing the Council, can otherwise fairly be characterised as obsessive or manifestly unreasonable, clearly does not have any serious purpose of value