-
-
FOI request (FOIR-785830399)
Increase in rent on commercial Hastings Borough Council properties
Requested Wed 14 January 2026
Responded Wed 21 January 2026Please could you give me a break down on the rental increases on commercial units owned by Hastings Borough Council over the last year. It would be good to have this data for Hastings as a whole but also broken down by location. I am particularly interested in understanding the individual unit rental increases on properties on the Castleham Industrial Estate over the last year.
Response
NOTICE OF REFUSALThe information you have requested is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act – Commercially Sensitive InformationInformation 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 spendingWe 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 fairlyb) damage to reputation and/or financial interestsIn 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.
-
-
Freedom of Information
Contact
Contact us if you have a question about democratic services.
Comments
The content on this page is the responsibility of our Democratic Services team.