Subject: RE: EIR request - Case Ref/ 00210772 From: FOI Unit Direction: received Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:35 UTC Institution: Vale of Glamorgan Council Refs: 00210772 Archive id: gm-19f4b61fe25affd4 ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Mr Buckler Thank you for your email, we note your concerns as set out below. We are reviewing your concerns and will be in touch further as soon as possible. Kind regards Information Governance Officer / Swyddog Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth Director's Office - Resources / Swyddfa'r Cyfarwyddwr - Adnoddau Vale of Glamorgan Council / Cyngor Bro Morgannwg tel / ffôn: [phone redacted] e-mail / e-bost: [email redacted] or [email redacted] Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Ystyriwch yr amgylchedd. Peidiwch ag argraffu'r neges hon oni bai fod gwir angen. Visit our Website at www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk Ewch i'n gwefan yn www.bromorgannwg.gov.uk Find us on Facebook / Cewch ddod o hyd i ni ar Facebook Follow us on Twitter / Dilynwch ni ar Twitter Correspondence is welcomed in Welsh or English / Croesewir Gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg neu yn Saesneg. From: Sion Buckler Sent: 07 July 2026 16:39 To: FOI Unit Subject: Re: EIR request - Case Ref/ 00210772 Dear Monitoring Officer, I request an internal review of the Council's response to my Environmental Information Regulations 2004 request (reference 00210772). Thank you for the response issued on 7 July 2026. I appreciate the time taken to consider my request and the searches undertaken. However, having carefully reviewed the response alongside the earlier correspondence, I do not believe my clarified request has been fully addressed, nor do I believe the response adequately explains the scope of the searches that were undertaken. Clarification process On 28 May 2026 the Council advised that the relevant service area required clarification regarding the nature and reason for my enquiry. I provided that clarification on 7 June 2026. On 9 June 2026 I was informed that my clarification had been forwarded to the Planning Department for consideration. Given that sequence, I reasonably expected the final response to address the full scope of my clarified request. Instead, the response appears to have focused primarily upon identifying two planning applications and referring me to the Planning Register. Those applications are relevant, but they represent only one aspect of the information requested. Scope of my request My request concerns environmental information relating to the historic Great House Farm (Ty Mawr) estate, including land now forming Church View Close and adjoining land on the north side of Leckwith Road. The request extends from approximately 1875 onwards where records exist. It includes, where held: planning records; officer reports; committee reports and minutes; planning consultation responses; planning correspondence; environmental reports; archaeological reports; heritage assessments; demolition records; redevelopment records; engineering drawings; highways information; drainage and sewer records; GIS and mapping datasets; aerial photography; environmental assessments; land-related correspondence; estate management records; property records; archived files; and any other environmental information falling within Regulation 2(1) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Matters that remain unanswered Although the response identifies two planning applications, it does not explain whether information was sought or considered in relation to several parts of my request. In particular, it does not explain whether searches were undertaken for: archived paper planning files; committee reports and minutes; officer reports; consultation responses; supporting technical documents; demolition records relating to Great House Farm; archaeological reports held by the Council; heritage assessments; environmental assessments; engineering reports; highways records; drainage records; GIS datasets; correspondence relating to redevelopment; records inherited from predecessor authorities; records transferred to Glamorgan Archives or any other repository. Adequacy of the searches To assist my understanding of the Council's response, I would be grateful if the internal review could explain: Which Council departments were asked to search. Which electronic record systems were searched. Which paper archives were searched. Whether off-site archived records were searched. Whether records inherited from predecessor authorities were searched. Whether any GIS databases were searched. Whether searches extended beyond the Planning Register itself. Whether search terms or keywords were used and, if so, what they were. Whether date restrictions were applied. Whether any information was identified but withheld. Information not held Where the Council concludes that information is not held, I respectfully request that the review explains: which reasonable searches were undertaken before reaching that conclusion; whether the information never existed; whether it was transferred elsewhere; whether it was destroyed; if destroyed, the applicable retention schedule and date of destruction; if transferred, the destination repository. Information withheld If any information has been withheld under the Environmental Information Regulations, I request that the review identifies: the precise Regulation relied upon; the reasons why that exception applies; where required, the public interest considerations; whether partial disclosure or redaction was considered. Planning Register The response relies upon Regulation 6(1)(b) on the basis that planning information is publicly available. I would therefore appreciate clarification as to whether the online Planning Register contains the complete planning files, including: officer reports; committee reports; consultation responses; internal memoranda; correspondence; amendments; supporting plans; technical reports; conditions; enforcement material (if any); archived documents. If it does not, I request disclosure of any remaining environmental information held by the Council. GIS information The response states that my request for GIS information lacked sufficient detail. For the avoidance of doubt, I seek copies of any GIS datasets or historic mapping held by the Council relating to Great House Farm/Ty Mawr, including where available: parcel boundaries; planning polygons; historic base mapping; aerial imagery; highway extents; rights of way; drainage assets; land referencing; scanned plans attached to GIS records. Personal data Separately, to the extent that any records contain my own personal data, I request that this element of my request also be treated as a Subject Access Request under Article 15 UK GDPR. Closing I have sought throughout this process to clarify and narrow my request wherever asked to do so. My intention is simply to understand the complete environmental and administrative record held by the Council concerning Great House Farm/Ty Mawr. If the Council has conducted comprehensive searches, I would be grateful if the internal review could explain those searches in sufficient detail to demonstrate that all reasonable steps have been taken. If further information is held, I request that it be disclosed unless a specific statutory exception applies. Thank you for undertaking the internal review. I look forward to receiving the outcome. Regards, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sgt) Royal Signals Cyber & Electronic Warfare Professional & Life Member [phone redacted] P.S. For the avoidance of doubt, where the Council holds environmental information relating to the historic Great House Farm/Ty Mawr estate prior to the 1989-1992 redevelopment-including records connected with the 1938 auction of the Cowbridge and Llandough Great House Farm estate, subsequent ownership, occupation, boundary changes, estate management, landscaping, trees, rights of way, demolition, redevelopment or associated land management-I request that such information also be included within the scope of this review. In particular, if the Council holds any recorded information concerning the removal of a commemorative tree formerly situated at or associated with Great House Farm, including work orders, contractor instructions, arboricultural reports, highways or grounds maintenance records, photographs, correspondence, GIS records or file notes, I request disclosure of those records. If no such information is held, I would be grateful if the Council could confirm whether it has ever held such records, whether they have been transferred or destroyed, or whether another public authority is likely to hold them. Finally, if, during the course of the internal review, it becomes apparent that any part of my request has been interpreted too narrowly, I ask that this letter be treated as further clarification rather than a new request, so that all relevant recorded information held by the Council can be identified and considered for disclosure under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. On Tue, 7 Jul 2026, 10:51 FOI Unit, > wrote: Dear Mr Buckler Thank you for your request for information about Great House Farm, Williams/Buckler Family, Llandough, Vale of Glamorgan and the further clarification that was received on the 7th June. Your request has been processed under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The Council's Planning records have been reviewed and the Planning department has provided the following response: In line with your clarification that was received on the 7th June, searches have been undertaken by the Council's Planning department in relation to the historic Great House Farm / Ty Mawr estate in Llandough. This includes land adjacent to and including Church View Close and the north side of Leckwith Road, with particular reference to the area identified within Land Registry title WA231076 and the timeframe indicated from 1875 onwards, where records exist. We have been advised that the links to the planning records relating to the redevelopment of the site during the 1980s-1990s have previously been provided by colleagues in the Planning department. These records, including associated documentation, are publicly available via the Council's Planning Register and can be accessed using the relevant application reference numbers at View or Comment on a Planning Application . This information is therefore excepted under Regulation 6(1)(b) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 - information already publicly available and easily accessible by other means. Whilst planning files may contain some archaeological information, it is also noted that archaeological records for the Vale of Glamorgan are maintained by Heneb (formerly Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust). We suggest that you contact Heneb directly to access relevant records. Details on how to contact them can be found at Heneb - The Trust for Welsh Archaeology . To the extent that the Council does not hold further archaeological reports beyond those contained within planning files, Regulation 12(4)(a) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (information not held) applies. Following searches of Planning records, no additional information has been identified within the scope of your request. You asked whether any records may have been transferred to Glamorgan Archives or otherwise. It is possible that historic material of this nature may be held externally, and you may therefore wish to contact Glamorgan Archives directly. Details on how to contact them can be found at https://glamarchives.gov.uk/contact/. From the clarification provided, the Council has been unable to identify which specific GIS datasets are being sought. Please provide further clarification regarding this and once received, we will consider this element further. As previously advised, the Council does not hold records relating to the legal case of BP Properties Ltd v Buckler. Neither the Vale of Glamorgan Council nor its predecessor authorities were parties to that case, which appears to have been a private legal matter. Accordingly, information relating to those proceedings is not held by the Council. If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be made within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to: c/o The Monitoring Officer - [email redacted] Or by post to The Monitoring Officer, Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry, [postcode redacted]. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office - Wales Second Floor, Churchill House Churchill Way, Cardiff [postcode redacted] [phone redacted] / Fax:[phone redacted] [email redacted] Yours sincerely Information Governance Officer / Swyddog Llywodraethu Gwybodaeth Director's Office - Resources / Swyddfa'r Cyfarwyddwr - Adnoddau Vale of Glamorgan Council / Cyngor Bro Morgannwg tel / ffôn: [phone redacted] e-mail / e-bost: [email redacted] or [email redacted] Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. Ystyriwch yr amgylchedd. Peidiwch ag argraffu'r neges hon oni bai fod gwir angen. Visit our Website at www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk Ewch i'n gwefan yn www.bromorgannwg.gov.uk Find us on Facebook / Cewch ddod o hyd i ni ar Facebook Follow us on Twitter / Dilynwch ni ar Twitter Correspondence is welcomed in Welsh or English / Croesewir Gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg neu yn Saesneg.