The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice upholding a Freedom of Information (FOI) complaint against Chapel St Leonards Parish Council. The council had refused to provide information about a gardening contract, claiming the request was vexatious under section 14 of the FOIA. The ICO found this refusal to be unjustified, determining that the request was not vexatious and that the council is not entitled to rely on section 14(1).

The ICO requires Chapel St Leonards Parish Council to issue a new response to the complainant's FOI request, explicitly stating that they will not be relying on section 14(1) of the FOIA. This decision means the council must now process the original request for information about the gardening contract without invoking the vexatious request exemption.