FOI request (FOIR-613379322)

Planning applications for 5G towers, health and safety certificates, housing and local finance

Requested Fri 10 May 2024
Responded  Mon 03 June 2024

Under the freedom of information rules, please answer the following. Please do not respond by providing links to sources which do not give the required response.

1. Copies of the planning applications made for the sudden appearance of 5G towers around Hastings and other areas within the council's borders? Copies here means what it says, not a link to wade through planning applications which are a process and methodology not usually within levels of understand by members of the community. Your record keeping system holds straight forward details of the named owner of things constructed within local communities.

2. A list of who owns the 5G towers. A list of owners, not links to their services website. Please include the owners business name, land and website address, and direct contact land address and email address.

3. Copies of the polls (not consultations) conducted with communities in which the 5G towers were proposed to be placed. Please can the copies of the polls include the clear responses from the community, was it agreed by the community?

4. Copies of the Health and Safety certificates which confirm the activities of 5G towers are safe. This includes copies of any certificates which can be regarded as a pre-determined planning consent based on the council taking direction from other sources.

5. A cessation in ignoring this question please answer it. Has Hastings council registered itself as a Limited company?

6. Hastings council has registered a private housing company and used that LTD company to purchase property assets. The LTD company is even registered at the council offices address. The board on that LTD company appears to be fluid and changing, and when members of the community ask about this private LTD company the response is constantly, we cannot respond as the LTD company is under review.

I suggest under review or not, that the questions put forward are not impacted by that. (Copies of letters requesting information are held in a dated file) Freedom of Information details for:

(A) Which housing qualifications are held by those currently on the LTD company board, and previously? What salaries were/are they paid and the finance source for the salaries?

(B) Were/are any of those board members engaged in other job roles within Hastings council? If yes, which job roles?

(C) Sight of the aims listed pre-registration of the LTD company which were used to register the LTD company.

(D) The types of tenancies being given out to any tenants occupying any of properties acquired by the LTD company?

(E) The background of such tenants, for example, are they local individuals or families with a demonstrated local historical connection?

(F) Confusion? Why has a pub been purchased by a LTD Housing company?

(G) How was the private company financed?

(H) Copies of polls used by the council to gain approval/support for creating a LTD housing company addressed as being located at a council office.

The aim of this freedom of information request is for the purpose of community engagement. This should be welcomed by Hastings Council. Community engagement when utilised rather than obstructed is a perfect system for success for communities and the local councils funded by tax payers. Nothing vindictive exists within my questions, they reflect a genuine desire to achieve positive outcomes via community engagement. Presently, the process for registering a community engagement charity or community NGO are in process and when this is completed, we look forward to growing the initiative of community engagement for the benefit of the community and the local council.

Response

The Freedom of Information Act is based on recorded information held by a local authority, it is not a tool to ask questions therefore falls outside the remit of the Act. In addition to this, the Information Commissioner recognises that information can be found by other means, this is under Section 21 - Information already reasonably accessible. Local authorities are entitled to provide links to information where it is already publicly available.

1. This information is available publicly on our website by searching with our planning access tool here:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/searching/

2. Information on current ownership is not held. Information as to ownership at time of application will be on the application form available through public access:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/searching/

3. Information not held.

4. Please see response to Q1.

5. This is not a request for recorded information.

6A. Refused - the information you are requesting is exempt under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 'Personal Data'. This is an absolute exemption and will not be provided.

6B. Refused - the information you are requesting is exempt under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 'Personal Data'. This is an absolute exemption and will not be provided.

6C. This information is held in these reports to cabinet from 2016 and 2017:

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21704/Hastings%20Borough%20Council%20Housing%20Company.pdf

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g2069/Public%20reports%20pack%2005th-Dec-2016%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

6D. This is not a request for recorded information.

6E. This is not a request for recorded information.

6F. This is not a request for recorded information.

6G. This is set out in this 2017 report to cabinet:

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21704/Hastings%20Borough%20Council%20Housing%20Company.pdf

6H. We hold no information in respect of public polls. Approval by cabinet to establish the housing company are in the cabinet minutes here:

https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g2885/Printed%20minutes%2011th-Sep-2017%2018.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=1