Plymouth City Council

The complainant requested copies of communications sent by Plymouth City Council (the council) to Devon and Cornwall Police that contained “intel packages” about individuals that the council considered to be affiliated to the campaign group STRAW (Save the Trees Of Armada Way). The complainant has contested the council’s decision to withhold information contained within one specific email. The council provided the complainant with some of the content of the email, advising that it considered the remainder to be exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) (third party personal information) of FOIA. During the Commissioner’s investigation, the council confirmed that it is now willing to release the names of certain individuals, but maintained its position that the exemption at section 40(2) was applicable to the remaining withheld content from the email. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council is entitled to rely on the exemption at section 40(2) of FOIA in respect of only part of the withheld content from the email. The Commissioner requires the council to disclose the names of individuals which it has confirmed that it is now willing to release, and also that part of the withheld information which, if disclosed, would not reveal personal information.