FOI request (FOIR-710072996)

Planning and Regulatory Services

Requested Tue 29 April 2025
Responded Thu 12 June 2025

Please may you provide me with:

1. What Case Management Software Systems are currently used by the Council for:

a. Planning Services (Development Control, Land Charges, Building Control

b. Regulatory Services (Licensing, Environmental Health, ASB, Trading Standards

2. When does each contract expire?

3. How much does each system cost annually?

4. Are you planning to go to market for a different Software System? If so, when?

5. How many users/licences for each system do you have?

6. Who is the person responsible for your Software System? Please provide their full name if possible.

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Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1a. REFUSED - Please see below.

1b. REFUSED - Please see below.

2a. Annual rolling contract.

2b. Annual rolling contract.

3a. REFUSED - Please see below.

3b. REFUSED - Please see below.

4a. Information not held.

4b. A new system has been procured and is being implemented.

5a. Site licence.

5b. Site licence.

6a. Mark Bourne, Head of Information Technology

6b. Mark Bourne, Head of Information Technology

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information you have requested in respect of software systems used and costs are commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act – Commercially Sensitive - Information Information prejudicing commercial interests – commercial interest relating to an organisations commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the ‘public interest test’.

When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure. Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define ‘in the public interest’, there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest.

In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public. Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a) accountability of public spending.

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves.

In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a) ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly.

b) damage to reputation and/or financial interests.

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.