Information Commissioner's Office

Bournemouth Borough Council

1 November 2017, Local government (Borough council)

The complainant requested information on a variety of matters, including health and safety, staffing and volunteers.  The Council refused the complainant’s first request under section 12(1) (cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit), and then under section 14(1) (vexatious).  Subsequent requests were refused under section 14(1).  The Commissioner’s decision is that Bournemouth Borough Council was correct to apply section 14(1) to subsequent requests.  She also finds that the Council was not obliged to issue refusal notices for subsequent requests in accordance with section 17(6) (where the request is considered vexatious, and an applicant has been notified in relation to a previous request that 14(1) applies, and it would be unreasonable for the public authority to service a further notice).  The Commissioner requires no steps to be taken as a result of this decision.

FOI 14: Not upheld FOI 17: Not upheld