Cotham School

The complainant has requested information relating to legal costs paid to solicitors/barristers by Cotham Academy School (the school) in connection with defending the claim of the land, namely Stoke Lodge Playing Fields (SLPF), from 2018 to 2023. The school refused the request as manifestly unreasonable citing regulation 12(4)(b) of EIR as the basis for doing so.
The Commissioner’s decision is that the school is entitled to rely on regulation 12(4)(b) of EIR to refuse to comply with the request. However, the school has breached regulation 9 by failing to provide advice and assistance.
The Commissioner requires the school to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation.
• Provide the complainant with advice and assistance in accordance with regulation 9 of EIR.
The school must take these steps within 35 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court.