Information Commissioner's Office

Wark Parish Council

1 August 2017, Local government (Parish council)

The complainant has requested information which he has termed ‘the Cherryman Papers’, together with a copy of minutes which he believes were received by the council from Tynedale District council relating to a village green association. The council directed the complainant to a county archive to obtain the information, and said that it did not hold a copy of a relevant Tynedale District Council minute. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council was correct to rely on section 1 as regards the second part of the request. She has also decided that it was correct to direct the complainant to the archive to obtain the information in the first part on the basis that section 21 of the Act applied. She has however decided that the council did not provide advice and assistance as requested by the complainant and so the council failed to comply with section 16 of the Act. The Commissioner does not require the council to take any steps.

FOI 16: Upheld FOI 1: Not upheld