Legal Warning Issued as Hartlepool Borough Council Fails Freedom of Information Duty...

Hartlepool Civic Centre

Hartlepool Borough Council Faces being found in Contempt of Court After failing to meet its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act...

28th December 2025

A Local Council on Teesside could be facing potential legal action, after the Information Commissioner ruled they breached legislation when they failed to deal with a Freedom of Information Request when required to do so.

The ICO ruled that Hartlepool Borough Council was found to be in breach of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, after failing to respond to basic and reasonable question by a member of the public about car parking charges in a town street.

In a decision notice issued by the Information Commissioner on 8 September 2025 and seen by the Teesside & Durham Post, Hartlepool Borough Council was found to have breached section 10 of the FOI Act, which requires public authorities to respond to information requests within 20 working days..

What Was Asked?

The Freedom Of Information request, submitted in May 2025, sought straightforward information relating to the temporary reintroduction of parking charges and restrictions at a car park in the towns Murray Street. The member of the public specifically requested when parking charges and restrictions were reinstated and when they were later removed, as well as how many motorists paid to park during that period, and how much revenue was generated. The FOI request also asked as to the reasons why the charges were reintroduced in the first place, and why they were subsequently withdrawn..

The Council’s Failure

According to the Information Commissioners Investigation report, Hartlepool Borough Council failed to issue any substantive response at all within the statutory timeframe. By the date the ICO's decision notice was issued, Hartlepool Borough Council had still had not complied with its legal obligations, with the Information Commissioner concluding that the Council was in clear breach of section 10 FOIA.

Legal Warning Issued

The decision notice now orders Hartlepool Borough Council to provide a full and lawful response to the FOI request within 30 calendar days. Importantly, the notice also contains a serious warning, that if Hartlepool Borough Council fails to comply, the Commissioner may certify the breach to the High Court under section 54 of the FOI Act, where the matter may be treated as contempt of court...

This case raises familiar concerns about transparency at Hartlepool Borough Council, with the ICO decision notice said to be one of a number of notices served upon Hartlepool Borough Council in the last thee years. The incident has left one thing seemingly clear in that its taken intervention by the Information Commissioner to remind Hartlepool Borough Council that transparency is not discretionary — it is the law.

Its not known as to whether Hartlepool Borough Council has complied with this request as of the time we went to publication.