FEES AND CHARGES

The Publication Scheme Catalogue and the Council’s web site

Wherever possible, information will be provided free of charge.  Applicants will be encouraged to access information via the website and download or print accordingly.  However, to avoid unfair treatment and social exclusion, those applicants that do not have access to electronic facilities will be provided with a paper copy of the information free of charge provided it is readily available from the website or does not fall into the categories identified below.

Charges may be levied for certain information or publications that are listed in the publication scheme.  Where this is the case, the applicable charge will be payable prior to the information being supplied.

Requests under the FOIA

Requests for information that fall outside the publication scheme may incur a fee to locate and retrieve the information together with a disbursement cost to cover communicating the information to the applicant, for example, copying and postage charges.

Where applicable, a fees notice will be sent to the applicant that must be paid within 3 months.  No further action will be taken until such time as the fee is received or the 3 months period of grace expires.

Some requests for information under the FOIA access regime may exceed the maximum as stipulated in the FOIA Fee Regulations. In this case the applicant must be informed as soon as possible.  The applicant should be offered the opportunity to:-

*  amend their request, so that as much of the information that they have requested can be provided within the fee limit; OR

*  pay the full costs over the maximum stipulated, where this is a practical and manageable alternative.

Requests under the DPA

Requests for the provision of personal information that are made under Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 may incur the maximum fee of £10, or whatever fee is prescribed by the relevant legislation at the time.

Requests under other statutory access regimes

Where fees for the provision of information are stipulated under other statutory access regimes, such fees will continue to apply and are not overridden by the FOIA.