Freedom of Information

Antrim Borough Council is a local government district council established under the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 to administer a range of social, economic, cultural and environmental services to the local community.

As a public authority the Council is required, under the Freedom of Information Act, to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it publishes/intends to publish the information and the charges it intends to make for the information.

As a public body Antrim Borough Council is committed to the highest standards of accountability and openness and the Publication Scheme is prepared to enable the council to fulfil its obligations under the legislation and to better inform the public of its communication and information systems. The information contained in the Scheme will be made available to individuals on request under the terms as detailed in the Scheme.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ENQUIRIES

For any enquiries regarding Freedom of Information, please contact:

Records Management Officer

T: 028 94 463113 ext 1380
E: foi@antrim.gov.uk
 
Links to Related Documents

• Information Leaflet on how to Request Information 
   
• Request for Access to Information Form
   
• Publication Scheme  
  - Class 1: Who we are and what we do
  - Class 2: What we spend and how we spend it
  - Class 3: What our priorities are and how we are doing
  - Class 4: How we make decisions
  - Class 5: Our Policies and Procedures
  - Class 6: Lists and Registers
  - Class 7: Services we Offer
   

• Procurement - Suppliers - Freedom of Information Statement 

 
HELPFUL HINTS & TIPS FOR WORDING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS

Do
- set out your request as clearly as possible – if we aren’t sure what you are requesting, we’ll have to ask you for further clarification.
- try to identify what you really want – if your request is too general it may be refused on the grounds that it would be too expensive or time consuming for the Council to deal with. On occasions we may charge you for some expenses such as photocopying.
- ask questions such as ‘what’ or ‘how much’ so that you receive a more useful response.
- use straightforward and polite language.

Avoid
- basing your request on assumptions or opinions.
- mixing your request with complaints or comments.
- using open-ended questions such as ‘why’ – we do not have to answer your question if this would require creating new information or giving an opinion that is not already recorded.

Below are some examples: 

Good examples	Bad examples
How much did the council spend on refurbishing its offices in the financial year 2010/11?	Please send me information on the refurbishment of the office.
Please send me your policies and internal guidelines on customer services, and a copy of your complaints procedure.	Why does your authority seem to think it is acceptable to treat its customers with contempt?
Please send me the minutes of any meetings at which ‘....’ was discussed and any reports, papers or internal correspondence dealing with this issue.	Please send me any information you have on ‘...’.