The local authority received 1,303 requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations in 2024/25. According to a recent cabinet report, just 63% of these requests were responded to within the required 20 working days, falling short of the council’s target of 90%. The average time taken to provide a response was 36 days.
The report, authored by Data Protection Officer Chris Thornton, highlighted that one of the reasons for the delay was a recent service redesign. This redesign transferred business support services to the service centre. While the change aimed to create significant savings for the council, it also introduced a new process that caused a backlog in processing requests. It is hoped that this change will ultimately lead to greater efficiencies.
“At its peak, this backlog numbered around 165,” Mr. Thornton’s report stated. “To achieve the target of 90% compliance, the council should generally have no more than around 10 late requests at any one time.” Since the redesign, both the service centre and the governance and information team have worked together to reduce this backlog. The number of late requests is now around 100.
In total, 248 requests were refused in 2024/25. Of these, 102 exceeded the cost limit of £450, five were repeated requests, and 141 were considered vexatious. The report explained that vexatious requests are those where the public interest in responding does not outweigh the burden on the council in doing so.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25520621.third-southampton-city-council-foi-requests-late/?ref=rss
