Information Request NPH00-1690/19
I am writing to respond to your request for information received on Tuesday 3rd December 2019 which has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI).
Your request has been given the unique Information Request No. NPH00-1690/19. Please quote this reference on all correspondence relating to this request.
You have requested the following information:
1. Would you be able to tell me if your council has built any new social housing buildings in the year 2018/19? If so could you tell me how many. Also, if possible the number of affordable homes to be built from 2019-20 to 2022-23.
2. If affordable houses are built by your Council’s development company or an external development company, how many new houses were built and completed in 2018/2019 and how many affordable newbuilds are planned for completion over the 4-year period 2019/20-2022/23?
The Council’s housing stock is managed by an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH).
NPH have created 124 new homes through conversions and new builds since the company was established in January 2015.
NPH are planning to build a minimum of 100 homes per annum for the next ten years and anticipate this will continue past this point. Further details regarding future developments can be found publicly available.
https://www.nph.org.uk/development-and-investment
3. Please can you provide the names of the development companies employed for newbuild development (whether owned by your Council or not) and the names and location of those in the work roles involves specifically in housing Development Manager, Construction Manager, Principal Surveyor and Procurement Manager.
NPH considers this type of request as businesses seeking the opportunity to sell goods or service as commercial requests.
Without clear public interest NPH considers commercial requests vexatious in line with the Upper Tribunal ruling upheld by the Court of appeal.
http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKUT/AAC/2013/440.html
Judge Wikeley indicates in para 35 & 38 that improper use of FOIA [such as no public interest] is a valid consideration to make when considering if a request is vexatious. Using FOI to gain a commercial advantage or seek opportunity over another can be included within this definition. In addition to the time wasted responding to the request, officers of NPH are taken away from their duties replying to unsolicited contact following the request.
Of course a public body is not always aware of some wider public interests in a particular area in respect of some requests. If you disagree with NPH’s initial assessment of your request please restate the information that you wish to be considered for disclosure and, as there does not appear to be any clear public purpose, why you consider publication through FOI is in the public interest as opposed to a purely commercial purpose.
The disclosure to you of the enclosed information does not give you a right to reproduce or publish such information without the express permission of Northampton Borough Council or any other owners of the copyright therein. To do so you will need a licence under the ‘Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015’.
If you consider NPH has not provided the information you have requested, you have the right to challenge that decision in respect of your information request within 6 months.
Please write to:
Information Access Challenges
Northampton Partnership Homes
The Guildhall
St Giles Square
Northampton
NN1 1DE