Backwell fights back against FOI trio - The Weston Mercury

Backwell fights back against FOI trio

 
 

12 December 2008

SCORES of Backwell residents are uniting to take a stand against three people who have been bombarding the parish council with FOI requests.

 
 

Michael Phillis, of Lotts Avenue, is appealing for more villagers to join them to show parish councillors that they have the support of the residents.

 
 

Since January the parish council has had more than 27 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from three people - two of whom do not even live in the village.

 
 

Pat Lloyd from Backwell has put in 13 requests and Maureen Sage and Tom Wilson from Nailsea have put in 12 each.

 
 

Mr Phillis said: "Our goal is to stop this nonsense which is costing the parish unnecessary money.

 
 

"Two of them don't even live in the village and they're spending village money but not contributing to it which really is irksome.

 
 

"All the requests are causing serious disruption to the council's day to day business.

 
 

"Each enquiry, legally, has to be replied to after painstaking research and administration time.

 
 

"If, after the clerk has taken legal advice on confidentiality and data protection, the information cannot be released, an appeal is instigated by the enquirer, creating yet more workload.

 
 

"To date two appeals have been dismissed and one has yet to be decided. Costs so far are already £1,000 and are still mounting, draining ratepayers' funds that were intended and should be properly spent on the upkeep and welfare of the village."

 
 

Concerned residents, Michael Phillis, John Brain and Michael Pratt, sent the three information seekers a letter asking for a meeting to find out why they were submitting so many requests.

 
 

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