The complainant has requested information held by Warrington Borough Council (the council) relating to public objections received about its 2017/2018 draft accounts. The request under consideration follows on from two previous requests that the complainant had made for similar information. In response to all three requests, the council has applied section 12(1) of the FOIA (costs exceeds the appropriate limit). The Commissioner’s decision is that the council has breached section 16(1) of the FOIA. This is because it failed to provide the complainant with appropriate advice and assistance to help him to bring his request within the relevant cost limits. The Commissioner is also satisfied that the council has breached section 17(5) of the FOIA as it failed to notify the complainant that it had applied section 12(1) to the request within the statutory time period. The Commissioner requires the public authority to now provide adequate advice and assistance to help the complainant refine his request of 27 September 2019 within the cost limit.
FOI 16: Complaint upheld FOI 17(5): Complaint upheld
Citations:
[2019] UKICO fs50829352
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 24 November 2022; Ref: scu.650477