Receiving your case and acknowledging your request
The first time you submit a request online, the details you enter will be used to automatically set you up as a customer and you will be sent details of your account login information. From there, you will be able to view all requests you have sent and the current status.
When you submit a new request online, the system will use the data you enter to create a new case for you and will send you details of the reference number assigned to that case that same day. You should include this reference number in any correspondence with us.
If you do not use the online portal, we will aim to send you an acknowledgment within three working days.
Initial checks
When a new case is set up, the information governance (IG) team will consider if it is valid. If it is not, they will contact you and give you advice about how to rectify this.
The team may also contact you at this point if a fee is payable or if clarification is needed to enable them to understand what you are requesting.
When to expect a response to your request
We will respond promptly and no more than 20 working days after receiving your request.
In some EIR cases, this timeframe may be extended to 40 working days if necessary. This may be because the request is complex or large.
In some FOI cases, it may be extended to what is ‘reasonable’, to allow us to consider if supplying the information is in the public interest.
Considering your request
If we believe the case is capable of progressing, we will allocate it to the relevant team within the council to consider what you are asking for in more depth. This includes:
- whether the request clear enough to answer
- whether a fee is payable
- if the council holds the information in recorded form
- if the information is already available to you another way
- how long they estimate it will it take to complete the request
- if there is any reason some or all of the information should not be disclosed
How we might respond
Depending on your request, we will:
- ask you for further information or a fee, if clarification is needed or a fee is payable
- let you know if we do not hold the information you have requested and close the file
- refuse the request if the information is already publicly available and let you know where you can find it
- withhold some or all of the information where appropriate in line with any relevant exemptions or exceptions
- provide the information where it is held and can be disclosed
If it appears it would take an excessive amount of time to answer your request, we will consider whether to refuse it. If we do, we will advise you of ways you might be able to reduce the request to make it more manageable.
What may impact response times
If we ask you to pay a fee, the clock pauses until cleared funds are received. On receipt of payment, the timeframe will continue from the point it reached prior to our request.
If we ask you to clarify what you are asking for, the timeframe will not begin until we receive your clarification. This means the clock is re-set.
If your request is not valid, the timeframe will not start until we receive a valid request.