Buckhurst Hill Parish Council

The complainant has requested information about costings and redundancies. Buckhurst Parish Council (the council) provided some information and confirmed other information was not held. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council has not carried out sufficient searches in order for the Commissioner to determine whether, on the balance of probabilities, the council has provided all the information it holds falling within the scope of the request. The Commissioner requires the council to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Search all relevant emails, including those held by the chair and councillors, for any information falling within the scope of the request Determine all relevant information held by Croner on the council’s behalf, falling within the scope of the request. Once the above has been completed the council must either provide any information falling within the scope of the last part of the request, to the complainant, or issue a valid refusal notice in accordance with FOIA. The council must take these steps within 30 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.