Access to information
Everyone has rights of access to all sorts of
information held by public authorities such as Kent County Council
under several pieces of legislation.
For information we hold about the Environment
and anything affecting it, you have a right of access under the
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
For information we hold about yourself, you
have a right of access under the Data
Protection Act 1998.
For information we hold about anything else,
for example, official information about the council, you have a
right of access under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Please see our Publication Scheme page for details of what
information is readily available to you, what formats it is
available in, what it will cost (if anything) and how to get hold
of it.
How do I get hold of information if I can't find it on
your website?
We publish lots of information on our
website which is organised into thirteen sections:
If you are not sure which section you need to
look in, you can use our web search
facility, or our A-Z
list of services.
If you cannot find what you are looking for,
you can make a formal request for the information you want. Please
see our
Freedom of Information pages for details on how to do this.
Will I be charged for the information I
want?
Any information which is published and is
accessible on our website can be downloaded free of charge.
However, some information is only available in hard copy and some
information is only available for inspection. If a set fee or
charge applies for supplying specific document or publication, we
have listed this in our Publication Scheme
Guide.
The Freedom of Information Act also allows
us to charge for “disbursements” which means we can ask you to pay
the actual costs that we will incur to provide the information you
have requested to you in the format you require, for example:
- photocopying
- printing
- postage and packaging
- translation costs
- the cost directly incurred as a result of
viewing information
Please see our Publication Scheme Guide for details of our
charging policy.
Are there any restrictions on how I can use the
information once I have got it?
You are allowed to use any information
obtained from our website for non-commercial purposes such as
research, private study, reviews and news reporting. However, using
the information for commercial gain or profit, making multiple
copies for the public, or publishing it without our express
permission could be an infringement of copyright legislation.
You do have a right to ask us for consent to
re-use any information that you have obtained from us under the
Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005. Please
contact freedomofinformation@kent.gov.uk
for permission to re-use information you have downloaded or
obtained. You will need to specify what information you want to
re-use and the purpose and we have the right to refuse permission
or charge you a fee for allowing re-use.
Who do I contact?
For queries about the Publication Scheme, or
if you wish to make a request for other information, or you need
advice and assistance in accessing information, please contact the
Corporate Access to Information Coordinator:
Email: freedomofinformation@kent.gov.uk
Post: Information
Resilience & Transparency Team, Kent County Council, Room 2.71,
Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone. ME14 1XQ.
Phone: 08458 247 247 (for
enquiries only - formal requests for information must be made in
writing, either by email, fax or letter)
Fax: 01622 696075
What if I am unhappy?
If you have any suggestions to make, or are
unhappy with how we handled your request for information, please
follow our
complaints process.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can
complain
to the Information Commissioner who oversees compliance with
the Freedom of Information Act.