Council Lawyer appeals enforcement notice over lack of transparency

A TOP council lawyer has taken the unprecedented step of appealing an enforcement notice from a regulator to improve transparency.

- Alex SEABROOK Local democracy reporter

Persistent failures to provide the public with information within legal time limits has caused Bristol councillors to raise fears about a culture of secrecy.

Last year the Information Commissioner's Office ordered Bristol City Council to get better at responding to freedom of information requests (Fols). The watchdog said Bristol was "consistently" one of the councils which had sparked the most complaints about Fols in recent years.

Tim O'Gara, director of legal and democratic services, was grilled by councillors on the audit committee on Monday, July 28, about the enforcement. He faced questions over why he chose to appeal, if any politician was involved in the decision, and why councillors weren't told sooner.