Comments on: Update: Local Government & FOI

By: richard woolnough

richard woolnough — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:40:49 +0000

Hi there, I am in dispute with Dover District Cuuncil over a fence erection which they originally told me did not require planning permission but have subsequntly issued an enforcement notice to dismantle following a locals complaint, I have asked if other applications have been made to them for the same constructions, many have been completed in the immediate locality, and they have told me to look in their archives myself, O.K. I can do that, I have also asked for details of enforcement notices issued to others[ I predict there will be none[ who have done exactly the same without planning consent but they tell me they are exempt from the freedom of information act by virtue of S12A local government Act 1972. I mhave been able to locate the Freedom act on the web, I do not believe this act actually allowsthem to withold such information but I cannot access any of the section 12a of the L>G>A 1972, any ideas?
Sorry to trouble you got to this website troillong through the net trying to locate the act. Thanks for any help you can give me
Richard Woolnough

By: Mike Law

Mike Law — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 10:01:38 +0000

I’m a councillor with the London Borough of Newham. I recently crossed the floor.

Since crossing the floor I have had to prove my “need to know” with regard to any information I have requested that does not relate to the ward I represent.
When this was first put to me I asked to see the legislation that supported this requirement. I was given some photocopied pages from a couple of pamphlets published by the LGiU and the LGC and copies of pages from a text book that cited case law that had nothing to do with the information I had been requesting.

I got hold of the legislation and could find nothing in it that supported the town hall’s position. I then phone the ODPM. the officer I spoke to was as confused as I am.

Advice given: complain to the Information Commissioner.

Thought I’d share this just to let you know, even elected members have trouble getting information. So much for open and transparent government.

By: tim garbutt

tim garbutt — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:10:23 +0000

I was excluded from Canterbury City’s Council at the section where press and public are excluded (at least 3 items) when I requested to speak about FOI at that point!

Can the agenda still contain this kind of secrecy – should they have a statement of principle?

I asked my council (Thanet District Council) in Kent for a list of secret meetings and they said none was availble but convened them ad-hoc. How to prevent this?