Freedom of Information Act Request
Reference: ECC20026116 03 26
Response: 08 April 2026
I can confirm that Essex County Council does hold this information, and where we are able to release this, our response is listed below.
The Bel Air Chalet Estate comprises about 370 dwellings on a privately owned site, beside the sea near St Osyth. A fairly central postcode is CO16 8SR.
Question 1 - I would like to know, please, how many people are known to any and all departments to be disabled or have mobility issues.
We do not hold this information in the format requested. We do hold information on the number of people in receipt of support from Adult Social Care (ASC) at any given point in time. We are not releasing this number as the location in question is a small and fluid community of some 370 chalets. The number of individuals in receipt of ASC is very small and would very likely result in individuals being identifiable. As such this information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I can confirm that Essex County Council does hold this information, but it is exempt from disclosure.
The exemption applicable to the information is Section 40(2) Personal Information. Personal data of third parties is exempt if disclosure would breach the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018. We believe that providing you with the information would breach the following Data Protection principles:
· Data shall be fairly, lawfully, and transparently processed
We are applying this exemption because
a) we do not have the consent of the person who is the subject of the information to disclose it to you,
b) we have not identified a legitimate interest for ECC to disclose this information under the Act,
c) disclosure does not meet any of the UK GDPR Article 6 or 9 conditions that would make it “necessary”.
Disclosure under the Act is a disclosure to the world at large and is free from any duty of confidence. We believe that the release of the requested information would cause unwarranted interference to the rights and freedoms and legitimate interests of the data subject(s). Such a disclosure would in our view constitute a breach of Article 8 in the Human Rights Act (the right to privacy and family life).
This is our refusal notice in respect of your request.
Your Right to Know
Democracy and Transparency
Essex County Council
Telephone: 033301 38989
Email: YourRight.ToKnow@essex.gov.uk | www.essex.gov.uk
