Is RMBC breaking planning laws?

This huge and rather unsightly poster has been erected on the Library & Arts Centre building, Don Buxton enquires further with his Freedom of Information request as it would seem that RMBC is in breach of planning rules, that it is also responsible for their enforcement! The answer to the FOI request that this has generated should be interesting!

FOI 2011.10.09 – PLANNING PERMISSION FOR SIGNAGE

Dear freedomofinformation@rotherham.gov.uk

As an active and empowered citizen with an interest in the costs and activities of RMBC Elected Members and Officers who govern our town with the consent of the electorate I wish to obtain the following information.

I require you to supply me with the following information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

1. Please provide me with a copy of the Planning Approval Notice for all of the signage attached to the RMBC Central Library building, some of which is identified in the attached photo taken at 14.02:20 hrs on Friday 7 October 2011.

2. Please provide me with a copy of the Officer Approval Report and/or the Agenda and Minutes of the RMBC Planning Board Meeting at which Planning Consent was granted for the erection of the signage attached to the RMBC building identified in the attached photo taken at 14.02:20 hrs on Friday 7 October 2011.

Please provide the above information in electronic format and within the timescale prescribed in the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours Sincerely,

Donald H. Buxton

Unusually the waiting was well worth it!

From: FreedomofInformation <Freedomofinformation@rotherham.gov.uk>

Subject: Freedom of Information response from Rotherham MBC (Ref: 463)

To:

Cc: “FreedomofInformation” <Freedomofinformation@rotherham.gov.uk>

Date: Monday, 7 November, 2011, 16:38

Dear Mr. Buxton,

I refer to your recent Freedom of Information Act enquiry dated 09 October 2011 in connection with planning permission for signage. Please see below, a response to your enquiry:

1.         Please provide me with a copy of the Planning Approval Notice for all of the signage attached to the RMBC Central Library building, some of which is identified in the attached photo taken at 14.02:20 hrs on Friday 7 October 2011.

No application for advertisement consent has been submitted therefore no information is held in this respect. 

2.         Please provide me with a copy of the Officer Approval Report and/or the Agenda and Minutes of the RMBC Planning Board Meeting at which Planning Consent was granted for the erection of the signage attached to the RMBC building identified in the attached photo taken at 14.02:20 hrs on Friday 7 October 2011.

No application for advertisement consent has been submitted therefore no information is held in this respect. 

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In accordance with the procedures of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), I am advising you that the cost to the authority in responding to this request has been £38.22 which reflects the staff time and administration costs involved. RMBC however does not currently make any charge to customers for processing Freedom of Information Act requests.