FOI Disclosure Log

Customer Request Details

08 April 2019

I would like to make a Freedom of Information Act request into the change of use of retail spaces under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) order of 1987.

 

This request specifically applies to Class A, which includes shops and other retail premises such as restaurants and bank branches.

 

The questions are as follows:

 

Q1. How many applications were made to your council to build new retail outlets (Class A1-A5) in the following timeframes?

  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018

 

Q2. Over the same timeframes how many applications for the construction of new outlets were approved?

  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018

 

Q3. In 2018, how many applications were received for change of use from one Class A category to another?

 

To help you with this request I have provided tables for each question below.

 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Q1. How many applications were made to your council to build new retail outlets (Class A1-A5) in the following timeframes?

2016

2017

2018

A1 – Shops

 

 

 

A2 – Financial and professional services

 

 

 

A3 – Restaurants and cafes

 

 

 

A4 – Drinking establishments

 

 

 

A5 – Hot food takeaways

 

 

 

Sui Generis

 

 

 

 

Q2. Over the same timeframes how many applications for the construction of new outlets were approved?

2016

2017

2018

 

A1 – Shops

 

 

 

A2 – Financial and professional services

 

 

 

A3 – Restaurants and cafes

 

 

 

A4 – Drinking establishments

 

 

 

A5 – Hot food takeaways

 

 

 

Sui Generis

 

 

 

 

Q3. In 2018, how many applications were received for change of use from one Class to another?

 

Please list the previous categories the premises people seeking to change the use of were categorised under. For example, if there were 50 applications received to change use to A1 shops, 30 of these were formerly A2 and 20 were categorised as A3

 

A1

A2

A3

A4

A5

Sui generis

Other

A1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sui generis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


East Herts Council Response

08 April 2019

I am writing to acknowledge your written request for information.

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being exempt or containing reference to a third party.

The Act defines a number of exemptions, which may prevent release of the information you have requested.  There will be an assessment of your request and if any of the exemption categories apply then the information will not be released.  You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release the information to you.  You will be informed if this is the case.

There may be a fee payable for this information, this will be considered and you will be informed if any fees are payable.  In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released.  The 20 working day time limit for the response is suspended until receipt of payment.

If you have any queries about the processing of your request then please do not hesitate to contact me.

It is important that you include the above FOI reference number on all correspondence related to this request.

Your personal details will be held within out Information Request case management system, and only used for the purposes of evaluating and processing your request.

While details of your information request may be published on the council website, your personal details will never be published or released to anyone outside the council unless it is required by the Information Commissioners Office.

Thank you for your request.

 


East Herts Council Response

08 May 2019

After consideration of your request I am writing to you to advise that the Council are not obliged to supply the information you have requested.

 

The Council has decided that the cost to locate, retrieve and extract the information you requested exceeds the appropriate limit as laid down in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. 

There is no automated report to interrogate the system regarding change of use and to manually do so would require extensive work that would be in excess of the 18 hours laid down by the act

In accordance with Section 17 of the Freedom Of Information Act 2000 this document acts as a Refusal Notice.

 

If you have a query or complaint about the processing of your request please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Alternatively for more information on the Freedom of Information Act contact the Information  Commissioner at:

Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone 0303 123 1113 

www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

 

It is important that you include the above FOI reference number on all correspondence related to this request.

 

I apologise that your request cannot be met and should you have any further queries or wish to discuss submitting an information request in the future then please contact me.

 

Yours sincerely