Information Commissioner's Office

Chester City Council

6 March 2007, Local government (City council)

The complainant requested information about Chester City Council’s contact with West Cheshire College over the disposal of a piece of land. He was particularly interested in obtaining the minutes of a meeting held by West Cheshire College, at which Council representatives were present, and a letter from the Council to the College relating to that meeting. The Council supplied some information in response to the request but denied holding a record of the meeting or a copy of the letter. The complainant appealed and as a result of the internal review carried out by the Council he eventually received a copy of the letter and a single page which the Council claimed was its sole record of the meeting, obtained from West Cheshire College in the course of dealing with his appeal. The complainant continued to maintain that the Council must hold a more detailed report on the meeting. Having considered the correspondence supplied by the complainant and questioned the Council on the purpose of the meeting and the nature of the Council’s involvement in it, the Information Commissioner is satisfied that the Council does not hold the information requested by the complainant.

FOI 1: Not upheld