Freedom of Information and data protection

The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to request information from us in order to facilitate better public understanding of how we carry out our duties, why we make the decisions we do, and how we spend public money.

The Freedom of Information Act (2000) enables you access to information we hold, and, which does not fall under either of the access regimes listed above i.e. personal information or environmental information.

What can I request?

When we receive a request for information we will respond with 20 working days after receiving your request.  Our reply will confirm or deny whether or not we hold the information you have requested, and either provide the information you requested, or explain why it has not been provided.

There are exemptions under the Act and we will let you know what exemption we are relying on if we do not provide the information you have requested. We are committed to making our information available to you and are happy to advise and assist you making a request. If we don't understand your request, we will contact you so that you can clarify what it is that you want.

How much information can I request?
We want to be more open and allow you access to as much information as possible. We do not limit the number of requests you can make. However, under section 14 of the Act we reserve the right to refuse any vexatious or repeated requests. This may include repeated requests from the same person or group of persons for the same information, or any requests which are intended to disrupt our work.

How much does it cost to request information?
You can find out if there is a charge for information in our Publication Scheme. If the information you seek is not contained within our publication scheme, we may charge you a fee, as laid down in our charging policy. We will advise you what the fee will be before we process your request. If you don't pay the fee, we can refuse to supply the information.

Other forms of information you can request

In addition to the Freedom of Information Act, there are two other ways you can access information held by us:

  • Under the Data Protection Act (1998), you find out what personal information we hold about you. To do so, please contact our Fraud and Data Manager.
  • Under the Environmental Information Regulations (2004), you can find out what environmental data we hold. To do, please see either see our Local Land Search page or contact our Environmental Protection team.

Make a request

You can either write to us, addressing the request to our Legal Services department or you can email us at legal@southsomerset.gov.uk , including any attachments you feel are relevant.