Your Ref:
Please Contact: / Janet Morris
Telephone: / 01422 392043
Fax: / 01422 393073
Email: /
Date: / 22 March 2016
Ms Dana Marsden
WDTK /
Democratic and Partnership Services
Northgate HouseNorthgate
HALIFAX
HX1 1UN
Dear Ms Marsden
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Request for information
Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Request
Please could you provide me with the engineer's report which was carried out last year leading to the decision to re build the school and also any other reports which have been carried out since on the structural problems at Copley Primary school.
Response
In relation to the condition of the existing floors at Copley Primary school I have enclosed copies of the structural report and a follow up inspection report, as listed below. In addition, I have attached a copy of the feasibility study undertaken to assess the best option for either dealing with the existing condition issue and expanding the school by half a form of entry on the existing site or rebuilding a new school and demolishing the existing school upon completion.
· Structural Engineers report undertaken by Holgate Consulting Ltd, dated 25.1012
· Calderdale Council Building Control Inspection Report, dated 1.12.14
· Full feasibility study, dated completed 22.6.15 (Redacted – Please see Section 17 Notice attached.)
I hope this is helpful to you and any feedback from you would be welcomed.
If for any reason you are unhappy with our response, you are entitled to approach the Head of Democratic and Partnership Services, Northgate House, Northgate, Halifax HX1 1UN.
If you remain dissatisfied with our decision, please contact the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Janet Morris
Janet Morris
Information Governance Officer
Notice under s17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
Calderdale Council hereby gives notice to Dana Marsden under section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 that part of the information requested on 26 February 2016 for any other reports that have been carried out on the structural problems at Copley Primary School is exempt information under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Exemption which applies in this case is specified in section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act in that releasing the estimated costs in the feasibility study provided could prejudice the commercial interests of this authority and outside bodies.
Public Interest Test:
This exemption is qualified and on that basis I have considered whether or not, in this case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. In coming to a decision to maintain the exemption I have considered the following public interest factors in favour of disclosing the information:
1. The public interest in promoting accountability and transparency in the exercise by a public authority of its actions and decisions in these matters.
2. Accountability for the spending of public money.
Against that, I have balanced the following public interest factors in favour of maintaining the exemption:
1. This project is shortly to go out to tender and disclosing the estimated costs could put potential developers/contractors at an advantage in that they would have an approximate figure to work round as opposed to them providing a genuine figure based on their own calculations.
2. As this Authority is accountable for the spend of public money, disclosing the estimated costs as detailed above would put the Authority at a disadvantage.
On balance I do not consider that the public interest outweighs the need to disclose the requested information at this time.
If you are unhappy with my response, you should, in the first instance, write to the Head of Democratic and Partnership Services, Northgate House, Northgate, HX1 1UN. If you remain dissatisfied with our decision, then you may appeal against that to the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.
Signed …… Tracie Robinson
[Corporate Information Manager]