FI15642

Request

  • The number of commercial properties that are available to let that are provided by your local authority in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024 
  • What is the average monthly cost for commercial properties that are available to let that are  provided by your local authority in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024 
  • The number and proportion of commercial properties that are available to let that are provided by your local authority that are vacant in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024 
  • Only if known and possible, the average daily footfall in your local authority’s town centres in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

Response

  • I can confirm that the Council holds information falling within the description specified in your request, however it is not readily available as the data is not held centrally and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’.   The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
  • I can confirm that the Council holds information falling within the description specified in your request, however it is not readily available as the data is not held centrally and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’.   The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
  • (a) 2019: Information not held, (b) 2020: 1, (c) 2021: 2, (d) 2022: 2, (e) 2023: 2, (f) 2024: 5
  • The Council has contracts with different footfall measuring companies over the past few years and they calculate the data in different ways and therefore the data is not consistent.  In addition, the agreements the Council holds with these companies states that the information cannot be shared as it deemed to be commercially sensitive.  Therefore, this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.