Page last updated at 13:19 GMT, Friday, September 18 2009

Freedom of Information - Complaints Procedure

Eastleigh Borough Council operates a separate complaints procedure to deal with any complaints involving requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If you wish to make a complaint regarding your request for information, be it because you feel that an exemption has been wrongly applied, or the public interest test has been wrongly decided, or your request has not been dealt with in the required 20 working day time limit, then please follow the guidelines set out below:

Step One- Informal approach

First, contact the Unit from which you requested the information. A member of the Unit will be able to tell you why a certain exemption has been applied, or, if your request was one that was refused after the public interest test was applied, you will be referred to the member of staff who decides the public interest test who will be able to explain to you why it was applied.

Step Two- Formal Approach

If you still do not feel that your complaint has been resolved, and wish to pursue it further, please write to, or telephone, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services. Contact details are as follows:

Richard Ward
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Eastleigh Borough Council
Civic Offices
Leigh Road
Hants
SO50 9YN

Tel: 023 8068 8103

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services will review your request. If, after all internal complaints procedure's have been exhausted, you still feel that you would like to pursue your complaint, you can send your complaint to the Information Commissioner who will review your case. You can contact the Information Commissioner at the following address:

FOI Compliance Team (Complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510