Information Commissioner's Office

Birmingham City Council

19 November 2007, Local government (City council)

The complainant requested information surrounding a working party set up to examine stakeholder relationships in relation to Woodgate Valley Country Park, including submissions to the working group and notes of the stakeholder meetings. The Council supplied some of the information requested, but refused to disclose certain information citing sections 21 (information accessible by other means), section 31 (law enforcement), section 36 (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and section 40 (personal information). The Commissioner accepts that section 21 applies; also, section 40 has been applied correctly in part. However, the Commissioner does not accept the application of section 31 or section 36 and believes that section 40 should be applied to some information not identified as personal information by the Council. The Council also did not comply with section 17 and issued an unsatisfactory refusal notice. The Council is required to release the non-exempt information within 35 calendar days.

FOI 17: Upheld