Burial Ground Rates

Summary

The requester asked for the Onchan Burial Ground Revenue Budget Submission and any Department of Infrastructure appraisal for the year to 31 March 2025. The Department provided the submission form but stated that no appraisal records exist as the review process does not produce specific documents.

Key Facts

• The Department of Infrastructure provided the Burial Rate Submission Form for Onchan Burial Ground.
• The Department does not hold an appraisal document because no records are produced during the rate review process.
• The review process involves checking submitted documents against rateable values provided by the rates office.
• Upon completion of the review, the Department sends a letter of confirmation of approval rather than a detailed appraisal.
• The request was closed on 20 March 2025.

Data Disclosed

• 4485090
• 4416089
• 21 February 2024
• 31 March 2025
• 4 March 2025
• 20 March 2025
• IM1 2RF
• (01624) 686785

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held by the public authority

Original Request

Further to Freedom of Information request reference number 4416089 and your response dated 21 February 2024, please provide: 1. A copy of the of the Burial Grounds Revenue Budget Submission by Onchan Burial Ground Authority in respect of the year to 31 March 2025. 2. A copy of any appraisal completed by the Department of Infrastructure in respect of the Burial Grounds Revenue Budget Submission referred to in 1. above to enable the Department of Infrastructure to certify "the prescribed amount" of the rate for Onchan Parish.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 4485090 20 March 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 4 March 2025, which states:

"Further to Freedom of Information request reference number 4416089 and your response dated 21 February 2024, please provide:

1. A copy of the of the Burial Grounds Revenue Budget Submission by Onchan Burial Ground Authority in respect of the year to 31 March 2025.

2. A copy of any appraisal completed by the Department of Infrastructure in respect of the Burial Grounds Revenue Budget Submission referred to in 1. above to enable the Department of Infrastructure to certify "the prescribed amount" of the rate for Onchan Parish."

Please see the attached appendix for a copy of the Burial Rate Submission Form of Onchan Burial Ground. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.
We provide the Authorities with the form and the rateable value of their Authority, which is provided by the rates office every year. The Authorities are requested to complete the form, return it along with a copy of their resolution letter. A review of the submitted documents is undertaken to ensure the rates are appropriate in line with the rateable value. No records are produced as part of the review. Once the above has been completed, the Department sends out a letter of confirmation of approval of the rate.

Please quote the reference number 4485090 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.