Biggleswade Health Centre Planning Application - funding and expenditure - Freedom of Information Request.

I had hoped that by now this would have been resolved but I am afraid it has become yet another saga.

On the 9th January 2011, I asked the Town Clerk:

Whilst I await the accounting information I have requested, can you tell me how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?

The response I received from the Town Clerk on the 23rd February 2011 was:

I believe that the Auditor will be responding to you on this matter.

After protracted correspondence with the auditors they finally told me that it was up to the Council to provide the information.

18th June 2011 I wrote again to the Town Clerk:

Having been in contact with both internal and external auditors, I have been advised that the council should provide me with the information I requested.

So can you tell me by return (20 working days have long gone) as I previously asked:

“how this application was funded and expenditure allocated within the Town Council Accounts?”

I had not received any response from the Council by the 16th July 2011, so I complained to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

16th August 2011 the ICO wrote to Biggleswade Town Council:

I am writing to confirm that the Information Commissioner has received a complaint from Mr R Mason stating that no response has been sent to an information request submitted on 9 January 2011 and repeated on 18 June 2011, which you have said was received.We enclose a copy of this request for your information.

Any public authority in receipt of such a request is under a duty to respond within 20 working days of receipt. As it is the case you have not responded but ackowledged receipt of the request, we would ask that you now respond within 10 working days of receipt of this letter.

3rd September 2011, I advised ICO by email that I had not received a response.

12th September 2011, The ICO Case Officer rang me and told me Biggleswade Town Council had contacted him and claimed to have provided the information in an email dated 4th January 2011. I checked on the email and advised him firstly that the email was in response to one of 27th December 2010 on another subject, and was five days before the question was asked. The Case Officer wanted to talk to the Town Clerk to clarify this but was told he was on annual leave for two weeks.

7th October 2011, I received a letter from ICO Case Officer, who was still trying to talk to the Town Clerk, but had been unable to do so. He suggested an internal review. I contacted ICO Case Officer and asked for advice on this.

10th October 2011 - The ICO Case Officer rang me and told me he was still trying to contact the Town Clerk and had tried again on Friday 7th October but was told he was on annual leave until 17th October. He would contact the "Admin lady" at the Council  and ask if they had an internal review procedure.

11th October 2011 - The ICO Case Officer rang me and said it had been agreed that the request for an internal review should be addressed to just Biggleswade Town Council. I was advised that the Internal Review should be carried out by someone other than the Town Clerk, and that the review should be completed within 20 working days.

I hand delivered my request for an internal review on the 12th October 2011, so it should be completed by Wednesday 9th November 2011 at the latest.