Response 4052365

Response to request for information

Reference

4052365

Response date

16 July 2026

Request

Please could you provide the following information relating to residential properties in Nottingham:

• A list of long-term empty residential properties currently held on record
• The property addresses (or partial addresses if full disclosure is exempt)
• The length of time each property has been empty
• Whether any enforcement action (e.g. EDMO, improvement notices, or similar) is being considered or has been taken.

If any part of this request is exempt, please provide the information that can be disclosed and confirm the reason for any exemptions applied. If it would help to refine this request to bring it within cost limits, please let me know.

Response

I am unable to release the information requested as the information is exempt from disclosure by virtue of section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Section 31(1)(a) states that the information is exempt if its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. The Council has considered the arguments for and against disclosure and has applied the Public interest Test. The Council's decision is that it would not be in the public interest to disclose information about empty properties as it would be likely to result in criminal activities such as squatting, theft and vandalism.

In refusing your request the Council relies on the Information Tribunal's decision (Case No.EA/2011/0007) dated 22 January 2013 where it was found that the London Borough of Camden was entitled to refuse a request for information about empty properties because the section 31(1)(a) exemption "was engaged and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing it

Section 31(1)(a) states that the information is exempt if its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. The Council has considered the arguments for and against disclosure and has applied the Public interest Test.

The Council's decision is that it would not be in the public interest to disclose information about empty properties, as it would be likely to result in criminal activities such as squatting, theft and vandalism.