Adam Chichester-Clark wrote to South Somerset FOI Team

Adam Chichester-Clark wrote to South Somerset FOI Team:

Dear FOI Team,

In your email of 7 October 2020 (below) you explained that you had asked the Planning department for an update on the “status and timeline” of my FOI Request, which you have categorised as urgent. I have heard nothing from you since then. The statutory period within which I was to receive a reply to my FOI Request dated 17 August 2020 expired on 14 September 2020. 

Although I have said that I would accept the information sought by way of rolling disclosure, I have not receive any of the information/documentation sought or even details of the extent of the search which the FOI intends to carry out in order to obtain it, despite my offer to agree a common approach. 

In circumstances in which no objection has been taken in principle to the provision of any of the categories of information/documentation sought, your team should by now have identified an individual(s), who will responsible for undertaking the search, and that person should in turn have identified the electronic and hard copy storage systems and devices in which they intend to carry out the search for the information sought.

While I am sympathetic to the Planning Department’s high workload, it is incumbent on your team: (i) to identify each systems/devices in which you intend to carry out the search (pcs mobiles, tablets etc..); and (ii) to provide any documentation falling with the categories, even if, as I say it is by way of rolling disclosure.

I respectfully ask you to provide a substantive response by no later than 4 December 2020, failing I will be obliged to make a complaint to the Service Delivery Team in the first instance and/or to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Thank you very much for your help in this matter.

Best

Adam

Adam Chichester-Clark replied to South Somerset FOI Team

Adam Chichester-Clark replied to South Somerset FOI Team:

Dear FOI Team,

Thank you very much for your acknowledgement of my FOIA application dated 17 August 2020 and for your gracious apology for the delay in its acknowledgment in your email of 23 September.

As I said, I am genuinely sympathetic to any delay caused by the pandemic. However, may I also just say that the FOI Team’s help in providing the information and documentation sought in the Application is of real and urgent importance to myself and, indeed, many others in Yarlington and the prescribed statutory period for provision of the information required expired on 14 September 2020. It is, therefore, an application that I must now respectfully ask you to deal with fully and as soon as possible.

As a first step, I would ask you to tell me whether the FOI Team intends to comply with my requests in principle and, if so, what steps it intends to take in order to search for and collate the information sought under the categories in my request. I’d be more than happy to try and agree a common approach, if that would help you. Perhaps you could also tell me when you expect to be able to start providing the documentation requested. I would be happy to receive it on a rolling basis (i.e. as and when you have completed each of the necessary searches), if that would assist.

Can I ask you to come back to me as soon as possible and by no later than 4 pm next Friday, 9 October 2020.

Thank you,

Best

Adam

Charles de Salis replied to the South Somerset Freedom of Information (FOI) Team:

Charles de Salis replied to the South Somerset Freedom of Information (FOI) Team:

Dear FOI Team,

I write to thank you for your answer to my e-mail.

I note that it does not address many of the questions raised on behalf of the village and answers others somewhat inadequately by your own admission.

I will be in contact with you again when the village has appointed a Solicitor to act on its behalf in this matter of fundamental importance to its future.

Yours sincerely

Charles de Salis