The Freedom of Information Act 2000 covers the majority of unpublished information held by the public sector. The Act gives you the right to be told if we hold information and to have that information supplied, unless there is a legal reason for withholding the information. The Act came into force on the 1 January 2005 and applies to information held in any form. The Act is retrospective, so it also covers information found in older records.
If you wish to make a request you must:
- Make your request in writing - this can include email and fax
- Provide basic contact details – your name and either a postal or email address
- Provide us with sufficient detail for us to determine what information you require
An information request can be made to any part of the council, and can be made by letter, email or fax. However, it would assist us in dealing with your request if you can request information online.
You will normally receive a response within 20 working days. Sometimes we must refuse to disclose information. If this is the case, we will explain the legal reasons for our refusal and you will have a right of appeal.
Sometimes there is a charge for the information you have requested. If this is the case, we will tell you before the information is sent. For further details on how we will deal with your request, download our guidance document below:
Public access to and requests for unpublished information (PDF 63kb)
The Publication Scheme is a guide to what information we routinely publish and how you can access that information. If the information you request is published, you must access it according to the instructions given in the publication scheme.
Publication Scheme (PDF 55kb)