Have i a right to know the identity of a informant who complains to a district council about a noise problem?
my dog has been accused of barking late at night ,i know this to be a lie because he is not allowed outside after 10-30pm which is the time i normally go to bed ,but is allowed out at 5-30 in the morning because i go to work at 6-00. he does bark if he hears anyone poking about but thats what i have him for!
i believe the accuser is a person i had an argument with a couple of months ago. & they are trying to cause me trouble
if i knew it was them i could then go to asolicitor & have them write a letter to him to get him to stop harrassing me
Answers:
i doubt you will be able to find out from the council as you can put a complaint in anonymously, mind you if you keep your ears open one day some one will let it slip. Just be patient and you will find out in the end.
No you do not have the right to know.
No its confidential
I know it must be annoying for you, but I doubt that such information would be released. If the district council is breathing down your back, do you think that having other neighbors vouch for you and your dog through adding themselves to a list generated by you, stating that there is no such noise, would help?
You don't
Welcome to The soviet republic of Britain
No, you don't have the right to know. You are not being harrassed. You have admitted that your dog DOES bark. If you are blameless, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
So you're one of those highly irresponsible dog owners who allows their dog out early in the morning to foul over everything because you're too lazy to take it for a proper walk. I'm with the person who may have made the complaint.
Why ?... do you want to come around and beat me up ?
You seem to have answered your own question.Obviously if they divulge details of complainants people like you are going to harrass them as you have stated by going to a solicitor.
No, I would not think so. People have to be able to make complaints anonymously so as to be protected from the possibility of reprisals by those who complain. And, one instance of someone making a complaint against you, even if intended to cause you trouble, does not amount to harassment. If it happens repeatedly, you might have a point, though.
If you believe that the complaint is maliciously motivated then you must tell the council officers who will be investigating the complaint. You can tell them what you think and why and they must take that into account.
Of course, regardless of whether the complaint is being made out of mischief, if you are breaching any laws, local or national, you will be liable for some penalty over it. I think I would be a bit annoyed if a neighbour's dog regularly barked at 5.30 in the morning - since like most folk, I don't have to leave for work that early!
This is always a problem. People who complain are known a "protected informants" under the access to information legislation. You therefore cannot insist in law to be told. It makes a lot of sense really as people would be frightened to complain if they knew that their details would be given out. It is up to Councils to investigate thoroughly and weed out the malicious, petty or unsubstantiated complaints.
If it is your dog then you have no grievance and you may have to do something about it. If it is not then the Councils investigators should discover that. Do you have any other neighbours who could vouch for you? That would help a lot.
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