Cornwall Council

The complainant requested information relating to a fire at the Penhallow Hotel, Newquay, Cornwall in August 2007. The Council refused to disclose the information by virtue of section 30(1) of the Act. The Commissioner has investigated and finds that section 30(1) was correctly applied to all of the requested information and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in favour of disclosure. The Commissioner has identified a number of procedural breaches in relation to the Council’s handling of the request but he does not require any steps to be taken.