Please note that personal search requestes under the Environmental information regulations (EIR) need to be addressed to the relevant council team. Click here to find out more.
Anyone, whether an individual or an organisations, can request information held by the city council. You must make your request in writing.
You can ask for information relating to any time, not just the time since the freedom of information act became law.
We already make a great deal of information available, by publishing it or allowing people to inspect it. You can search our policies, procedures and strategies directory or our data directory online to see if the information you are looking for is already on our website.
Contact individual schools for their information. It is not held by the city council.
When we get a freedom of information request, we will tell you whether we hold the information and will normally supply it to you within 20 working days in the format you requested. Information costing up to £450 to locate (approximately two-and-a-half days' work) will be provided without charge, although you must pay any copying and postage costs.
We do not have to confirm or deny the existence of the information or provide it if:
- an exemption applies
- the request is vexatious
- the request is similar to a previous request
- the cost of compliance exceeds an appropriate limit
We will not refuse to provide information because it is inconvenient or may prove embarrassing in any way. Nor will we presume that you need information other than what you asked for.
If an exemption applies, but is qualified, we must decide whether the public interest in using the exemption outweighs the public interest in releasing the information.
If you are unhappy with a refusal to disclose information, you can complain to us using the details below and request an internal review. If you are not satisfied with the internal review you complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO will investigate the case and either uphold our use of an exemption or decide that the information must be disclosed.