Information Commissioner's Office

Cheshire West and Chester Council

25 January 2016, Local government (County council)

The complainant requested from Cheshire West and Chester Council (“the council”) confirmation that an agreement had been made and if so, a copy of the fully signed and certified lease agreed between Cheshire Academies Trust and the council. The complainant alleged that the council had not responded. The council explained to the Commissioner that it considered that it had responded, and had provided the information, albeit that it had provided it in response to an earlier, related request. The complainant continued to allege that the council had not provided the information. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council did not identify and provide all the relevant recorded information within 20 working days in accordance with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the FOIA”). It therefore breached its obligations under section 10(1), 1(1)(a) and 1(1)(b). The Commissioner was satisfied that on the balance of probabilities no further information was held within the scope of the request. He does not require any steps to be taken.

FOI 1: Upheld FOI 10: Upheld