Waverley Borough Council

The complainant has requested information relating to the planned redevelopment of an area within Farnham town centre. The Council provided some information falling with the scope of the request but withheld certain financial information under regulation 12(5)(e) of the EIR, the exception relating to commercial confidentiality. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council was entitled to withhold the majority of this information under that exception. However the Commissioner finds that the exception is not engaged in respect of information relating to when the developer would be deemed to have made a ‘Material Start’ on the development. The Commissioner requires the public authority to disclose the information redacted under the heading of ‘Material Start’ to ensure compliance with the legislation.