Ashfield District Council

The complainant requested, from Ashfield District Council (the Council), information relating to the rent being paid to the Council for some Council offices. The request comprised seven parts. While the Council gave answers in response to the last three parts, it refused to disclose information within scope of the first four parts because it is commercially sensitive. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council was entitled to withhold the information requested in parts 1 – 4 of the request, under section 43 of FOIA (‘commercial interests’). No corrective steps are required.