Castle Point Borough Council has in the past fully embraced previous legislation such as the Data Protection and Access to Information Acts that allow for access to details of our work.
The Council has always strived to work in an open and interactive way with our citizens and is happy to embrace the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. There are some exemptions which are laid down in the Act but, as a general rule, we will provide information wherever possible.
The Act came into effect on 1 January 2005 and states -
'Any person making a request [in writing] for information to a public authority is entitled:
(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request, and
(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.'
Requests must be dealt with within 20 working days.
Please check the links to Freedom of Information Datasets and ICT FOI Answers on the left hand side of this page. If the information you require is not there, please email info@castlepoint.gov.uk with your request.
How do I make a request
All requests must be in writing.
- You can send them to the Council Offices, Kiln Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TF or
- Email your request to info@castlepoint.gov.uk
In order to receive the information you want please be as specific as possible. If you know the department who holds the information please add this to your request. If you need assistance to make a request you can ask a friend or relative, or contact a local advice agency such as the Citizens Advice Bureau for assistance.
What will happen to my request
Your request will be passed to the department who is most likely to hold the information you have requested. If they are unclear on the information you are requesting they may ask you to provide more details about the information you have requested to ensure you receive the right information.
In most cases the council will contact you within 20 working days of receiving your request to confirm if the council holds the information and if you are able to have access to that information. If the council cannot provide you with the information they will write to you to explain why.
If the council is unable to make a decision within 20 working days we will contact you to inform you of the reasons why and provide you with a date when a decision will be made.
Data held by other authorities
To save you time and assist you in making your request to the correct authority Castle Point Borough Council do not deal with the following:
- Schools
- Childcare issues
- Social Care
- Highways
- Damaged road surfaces
Essex County Council can provide the information, please see the link below for more information as well as a postal address if you prefer.
www.essex.gov.uk/running-council/request-information-about-council
Your Right to Know
Information Sharing Information Security
Po Box 11
County Hall
Market Road CM1 1LX