Overview

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives every person the right to access information recorded and held by local Councils subject to certain conditions and exemptions.

If you are unable to find the information you required under our Publication Scheme, the Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to make a direct request for the information.

It does not cover access to personal information, this falls under the Data Protection Act.

The intention of the Act is to provide a culture of greater openness and accountability for public organisations.

How to make a request

Your request must:

Be in writing.
State the name of the applicant and an address for correspondence.
Describe the information required.

If your request is not specific and we are unable to find the information requested, we will have to write to you requesting further clarification. Please therefore help us to find the information requested by being clear and precise.

To submit a Freedom of Information request please email InformationGovernance@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or write to:

FOI Officer

Information Governance Team

Redcar & Cleveland House

Kirkleatham Street

Redcar

TS10 1RT

Responding to a request

We have a legal duty to respond to all information requests within 20 working days and to confirm or deny whether the information is held.

If your initial request is unclear or ambiguous, we will contact you for further information and advise you that the 20-working day period has been suspended and will not recommence until we receive clearer instructions.

The Freedom of Information Act includes a list of exemptions that must be considered when considering requests. There are 23 exemptions to the FOI Act, some of which are absolute and some qualified.

If an absolute exemption applies, the information is not permitted for disclosure. If a qualified exemption applied, then the information is subject to the public interest test. The public interest test determines the impact of making the information public and whether disclosure may cause harm upon its released. In such cases information may be withheld if the public authority considers that the public interest in withholding the information is greater than the public being made aware of it.

Fees and Charges

The fee threshold is £450. No fee can be levied for requests that are estimated to cost £450 or less, although a charge can be made for postage, photocopying and printing costs if they exceed £5.

If the estimated fee exceeds the £450 limit, the request can be refused, or the applicant asked to pay the additional fee. If a fee is particularly high the applicant will be contacted to find out whether they wish to modify the request to reduce the cost.

Review Procedure

If you are not satisfied with the response provided, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of receiving the response.

Internal reviews will be carried out by a Senior Legal Manager, who will not have been involved in your initial request. A response will be provided within 40 working days of your request for a review.

To request an internal review please email InformationGovernance@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or write to: