Freedom of information requests
If you attended our last public meeting, you would have heard reference to a number of Freedom Of Information Requests we have made to Chelmsford City Council. All relate to the Hamptons Sports and Leisure Club and our first request has reached a crucial stage
On the 18/01/20 we submitted the following to CCC REquesting:-
All planning documentation associated to the APPROVED USE CLASS for this property.
Included within this information we would request the following information:
1) The existing approved Use Class (As defined under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987
2) Details of any previous approved use class and any amendments made since the original building was built under planning reference 08/1872/FUL
3) Any conditions set within the existing approved Use Class.
4) Copies of any documentation associated to the initial application for Use Class and associated response
5) Details of any current submitted applications for change of use from the current approved Use Class.
After an unhelpful answer to the specified question, and a requested review by a Director of CCC we received this response on 03/03/20
A legal adviser has offered advice in a legal context. A disclosure of this information would break the confidential communications between client and lawyer. In this situation, the client [Planning Services] supposes that the advice provided was in confidence and wouldn’t be disclosed to the world at large.
In all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Therefore, at this current time we have decided to withhold the information”
We have referred the matter to the Information Commissioners Office, who may find in our favour, and force CCC to release the information we requested.
Our second request was also to CCC :-
"Any recorded information held on computers, in emails and in printed or handwritten documents as well as images, video and audio recordings relating to meetings between the Planning Department, city councillors and the Chelmsford Muslim Society between
01/04/19 and 30/01/20"