ON its website, the Local Government Association promotes open and transparent local government to meet local needs and demands. It goes on to say councils are encouraged to make data openly available to foster accountability.

We are therefore concerned that the Local Government Ombudsman has written to City of York Council chief executive Kersten England expressing concern “that on several occasions the Council has provided late responses to enquiries... and has, on occasions, appeared reluctant to quickly provide information which should be readily accessible”.

Even more worrying is the Information Commissioner’s Office order that the council must issue new responses to some Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within five weeks, or face potential High Court action.

All of this appears to fly in the face of open government and this is not the first time the council has found itself in hot water this year; most infamously over the Lendal Bridge fiasco, accusations of excessive secrecy and for falling short of national targets for responding to FOI requests.

Running a large, complex organisation in the face of severe financial restraints is never going to be easy, but the council has some work to do to restore public faith in some of its decision making.