Ashfield District Council: Freedom of information

Freedom of information

Freedom of Information Act 2000

What information does the Act cover?

All non-personal information is covered by the Act, irrespective of the format that it is held in, so agendas, minutes, maps, photographs are included.

What are my rights?

The Act provides you with two statutory rights:

To be told whether the council holds the information requested
To be provided with that information, subject to certain conditions

Can I make a request for information now?

Yes, the regulations came into force on the January 1st 2005, but please check out our Publication Scheme before making a request.

What is a Publication Scheme?

You will find a lot of information about what we do and the services we provide on our website. In addition key documents have been put together to form a catalogue or Publication Scheme.

The structure of the Scheme is based on the main categories of our web site. The classes of information used are general so that you do not need to know the council's structure to be able to find the information you require.

Where do I obtain a copy of the Publication Scheme?

Our Publication Scheme is available below, click on the link provided to view the publication online or download, or request a hard copy from our offices or by contacting:

Andy Gray
Scrutiny & Policy Support Officer (Information Management)
Email: a.gray@ashfield-dc.gov.uk
Tel: 01623 457 244

Available to view online or download...

How do I make a request for information?

It would assist us if you would complete the Request for Information Form; this form is designed to provide us with sufficient information so we can respond to your request efficiently and accurately.

Select to download a Request for Information form (96k)

In all instances your request must be in writing, have sufficient detail for us to be able to find the information you want and have a return address for us to reply to.

If you know which Division holds the information you require, you can contact them directly, however if you are unsure which Division to send your request to you can email it directly to:

a.gray@ashfield-dc.gov.uk
or if you prefer, post to:
Andy Gray
Scrutiny & Policy Support Officer (Information Management)
Ashfield District Council
Council Offices
Urban Road
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Nottingham
East Midlands
NG17 8DA

How long will it take to receive the information?

Requests are answered as soon as possible, most within 20 working days. If this cannot be achieved we will contact you and provide you with a completion date.

How much will my request for information cost?

Most information requests will be free. If your request is estimated to cost us (to find and collate) less than £450 (18 hours of staff time @ £25 per hr) no charge will be made. If the estimate exceeds this figure we will contact you and assist you to refine the request or we may consider accepting the payment in full.

The Act does not entitle you to free copies of priced Government publications, or to free use of services for which there is normally a charge

Depending on the volume of information requested we may have to make a small charge for copying and postage as set out in the Council's Charging Policy

Select for the Council's Charging Policy (61kb)

What do I do if I think you have not given all of the information requested?

You should first of all make a complaint via the Councils Complaints Procedure. If after following this procedure you are still not satisfied you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. Who will look into the matter on your behalf.

Office for the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF