STC

Freedom of Information Act – Ignored, Neglected, Broken

March 9, 2026

10 minutes read

At the last electors’ meeting, I asked why the Town Clerk of STC never responds to Freedom of Information Act requests – which is a breach of the law. The new Chairman appeared genuinely surprised by this and asked me to send him copies of those FOIs.

FOI REPLY, FOI REPLY, A KINGDOM FOR AN FOI REPLY!
While searching for these documents in my email inbox, I decided to count exactly how many FOI requests the Town Clerk has chosen to ignore. I counted them all. Before you dive into this abyss of incompetence – or deliberate obstruction – trust me: when I submit an FOI, it means I am on the trail of something that doesn’t add up, doesn’t fit, stands out from the norm. I don’t write FOIs for fun – it takes valuable time I could spend writing the third part of my book.

Yet I persist. I write them for all of us – for residents who, like me, have had enough of tax rises, scandals, and incompetence. I write them to throw some light on issues that bureaucrats prefer to keep in the shadows.

LUCKY NUMBER…
I thoroughly searched my entire email inbox from the date I sent the FOI regarding the pellets – the one that received a partial response. The official count: since 2021, the STC Town Clerk has received 7 legally binding requests from me, to which she either did not respond at all, or responded only partially, promised to send the remaining information at a later date, and never did. SEVEN.

I should have reported this to the ICO, because ignoring an FOI request is a serious offence. Serially ignoring FOI requests is a pattern of incompetence and borderline criminal behaviour. So why didn’t I contact the ICO? Because a lack of answer from STC is an answer in itself. I don’t need more. On top of that, writing a complaint to the ICO would take additional time from an already busy schedule.

I did contact the ICO once. In reply, they sent me the same message every time: “please provide more details.” That completely threw me off – I had delivered them everything, and no matter what I sent, back came the same automated response: “please provide more details.”

FREEDOM OF INSUBORDINATION
I don’t want to overwhelm our new Chairman with all seven FOIs. I will send him only those submitted in 2025. Do I hope for a reply? Not really. I think the Town Clerk’s circle knows they can do whatever they want as long as Labour covers for them – and since STC is back under Labour’s thumb, for now they are safe.

SO WHY AM I DOING THIS?
Because I still have hope. I still believe we can turn things around and reform STC. I saw the passion of residents when Labour tried to sell our Village Hall. Residents still have fire and love for Shirebrook, and my new mission is not only to expose the sins of the public service and Labour – it is to fuel that passion, to wake up even more people, and to show them: it can be done. All you need is hope and a ballot paper in your hand on election day in 2027. If you want to build this house, let’s build this house.

So – which FOIs did the Town Clerk ignore?

FOI: THE TOWN CLERK’S BROTHER (full text at end of article)
Labour “allowed” the Town Clerk to hire her own brother. Among the regulations governing STC’s operations, there are specific rules covering exactly this kind of situation. The “Close Relatives Policy” was set up in 2016 – three years after Labour “allowed” the Town Clerk to hire her own brother.

I was a councillor. I suspect the Town Clerk broke those rules, because during my time on the council nobody ever mentioned it, and the required oversight procedures set out in policy were never discussed or even referenced. I attended every single STC meeting. Something like that would not have escaped my attention. So I read the policy governing the employment of relatives at STC and requested specific documents that should either confirm or refute my suspicions. The Town Clerk did not respond.

FOI: PRINT SERVICES (full text at end of article)
STC printed a report. It cost thousands of pounds. A long time ago I worked briefly in the printing business and I have followed the industry ever since. So when I saw how much STC paid to print the “Town Report,” my alarm bells rang immediately. Something stinks.

So I sent an FOI to find out what. The answer? What answer?

FOI: THE PELLET AUDIT
Net-zero pellet contract – corruption of the highest order. I sent several FOIs in this case. One was answered partially, the others were ignored completely. This particular one was answered – but let me show you how.

First things first: I have stated publicly that the figures in the pellet deliveries don’t add up and I suspect foul play. I will say it again, publicly, openly, and with full confidence: the figures strongly suggest something odd, unusual, something that shouldn’t happen. The numbers just don’t add up.

Then I confronted Chris Kane. On camera. And he told me that “it was investigated.” You can watch that moment here – notice how poetic it is when he walks away from scrutiny. Just a few weeks later, he resigned…
https://youtu.be/zfDglsifs9Q?si=pe2zDAl38HyVkgvE

After that evening, I sent an FOI asking STC: what investigation? Can I see the report? Who conducted it? The answer? STC investigated STC and STC determined everything was fine. Trust me, bro! Seriously – do they think we are all idiots? Just read this (this is fragment of FOI answer):

Reported extensively? To this day, I have no idea why STC burned pellets for 40,000 pounds one year and 16,000 pounds in another year. Why did STC burn pellets in the closed Leisure Centre due to the pandemic? I still don’t know why I was refused access to the contract and invoices for the years 2013-2015. Ehhh…

THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENT…
…not conducted by STC itself. On top of that, they still cannot find the contract they signed with AMP for 20 years – because that is what I asked for in the original FOI. It is not rocket science. I am not asking for a spectral analysis. I am asking for a copy of the heating contract. We are paying the cost of that contract; we have the right to know the details. Period.

Labour refuses to disclose this contract – which raises the question: why. And if you don’t know what it’s all about, it’s most likely about money. If everything is fine, how do you explain the sudden drop in pellet costs after Chris Kane was forced to resign by his own Labour colleagues? Explain this:

Then the Town Clerk responded that Chris Kane…

Yes. He didn’t understand the question I was asking. For four years. Idiocracy. I offered to pay for an independent forensic audit of the pellet system. STC won’t even put it on the agenda. Why?

POLICE? WHAT POLICE?
The Town Clerk then mentioned a police visit to the Leisure Centre. The problem is – she said one thing, and PC (name redacted) told me something completely different. We need them both in the same room to establish who is telling the truth.

Don’t hold your breath – we live in the so-called Red Wall. Police allowed 1,400 girls to be raped under Labour’s watch just 30 miles from here. Do you really think the police will do anything about corruption in STC? Perhaps if Reform takes over the central government and forces the police to be the police again – but never under a Labour regime.

27% PAY RISE, AND A MONTH LATER – ANOTHER PAY RISE
This is not an FOI, but I decided to mention it as well. STC is also ignoring its obligation to answer residents’ questions at Full Council meetings. Below you can see the Town Clerk Assistant’s confirmation of receipt of questions submitted for a Full Council meeting.

I have been asking about the demand for a pay rise after a 27% pay rise was already granted – and I have been asking since 2023. I originally submitted these questions in 2023. I asked them lawfully at a meeting and was ignored. I was told: “we’ll write to you later.” No reply came, so I began pressing again.

After months of persistence, I forced a confirmation of receipt in July 2025 – with the help of former councillor Tony Burns. It is a great shame he yielded to the forces of evil and resigned from his position; it was a serious blow to the reformist faction within STC.

MINUTES? WHAT MINUTES?
To this day, the minutes contain no mention of how STC resolved this issue. Did they cave to the demands? Did they grant a second pay rise in one year? Did they reject the demands? And if they did grant a rise, by what percentage? Since I first asked this question, we have had four Chairs elected on the Labour Party ticket: Chris Kane, Paul Harford, Sarah Brooks, and now Dale Smith – and I still have no answer. Why? Because of the Town Clerk.

LABOUR’S GREATEST ENEMY – THE TRUTH
You can read my email below. Pay attention to point 2 – I have been asking this question since June 2023. There is no resolution in STC minutes on this issue, despite the fact that at an earlier meeting a copy of a letter from the unions demanding a pay rise was included in the documentation – I obtained a copy of it via an FOI that the Town Clerk did reply to, so she is capable of it when she chooses.

There should be a resolution of that issue in the minutes from that or a following meeting – that is the procedure.

NOW THE BORING STUFF
Below you can read all my correspondence with STC: the email and the 2025 FOIs I am seeking answers on. Under the FOI Act, I should receive a response – or a formal refusal – within 20 working days. Your move, Labour-led STC.

FOIs AND QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING

On Tue, 29 Jul 2025, 15:23 , <info@shirebrook247.com> wrote:

To: Shirebrook Town Council, STC Chairman, councillors of Shirebrook
South Ward

Subject: Questions for Full Council Meeting – 13 August 2025

Dear Madam or Sir,
My name is Sylwester Zwierzynski, and I am a resident of Shirebrook. In
accordance with the provisions of the Shirebrook Town Council Standing
Orders and relevant national legislation, I would like to submit the
following questions and request that written or verbal answers be
provided during the Full Council meeting scheduled for 13 August 2025:

1. Freedom of Information request submitted on 15 February 2025
On 15 February 2025, I submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request
to the Town Clerk. I have not received a response to date. I am
attaching the text of that FOI request at the end of this letter. I
would like to ask why no response has been provided and when I can
expect to receive a formal reply.

2. Pay increases for STC employees
Some time ago, employees of Shirebrook Town Council received a 27% pay
increase. Just three months later, I understand that the Unite union
submitted a formal request for a further pay rise. I inquired about this
matter, and the Town Clerk informed me that she would provide an update
at a later time. As I have yet to receive that information, I would now
like to ask:
– How was the issue raised by Unite resolved?
– Did STC employees receive an additional pay increase within three
months of the initial 27% rise?
– If so, what was the total amount or percentage of the further
increase?

3. Town Clerk’s salary
I would like to request information regarding the total salary of the
Town Clerk. As I understand it, the earnings of individuals employed in
the public sector are not considered confidential beyond a certain
threshold. Considering that the current Town Clerk appears to hold two
roles within local government, I assume that her income exceeds the
disclosure threshold. Therefore, I wish to ask:
– What is the total combined salary the Town Clerk receives from all
public-sector positions?
– Specifically, how much does the Town Clerk earn in her role at
Shirebrook Town Council?

4. Outstanding FOI requests
During a past council meeting, the Town Clerk disclosed that there is a
backlog of unanswered FOI requests, due to a lack of available time. I
do not require an exact number, but I would like to ask:
– Approximately how many FOI requests submitted to STC are currently
still awaiting a response?

As the Town Clerk has previously claimed that my emails have not reached
her, I am also sending a copy of this letter to the councillors
representing my ward and to the Chairman of Shirebrook Town Council,
with a request that they ensure my questions are not ignored again.

The full text of my FOI request from February 2025 is included below for
reference:
(text of FOI below)

FOI ABOUT CLOSE RELATIVES

FOI 16.11.25

Dear Shirebrook Town Council,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I request the following documents relating to the employment of the Town Clerk’s close relative (brother) by Shirebrook Town Council:
1. The written delegation, required under section 24.9 of the Employment of Close Relatives and Partners Policy, assigning supervisory responsibility for employee related to Town Clerk to someone other than she.
2. Any documents, emails, minutes, or records demonstrating the “alternative management arrangements” required when a close relative is employed (Policy 24.9).
3. Any conflict-of-interest declarations, disclosures, or management notes made under sections 24.8, 24.13, 8.5, and 8.8 of STC’s policies concerning relationships at work.
4. Documents showing who sat on the interview/recruitment panel for this role and confirming that the Town Clerk took no part in the recruitment process, as required by Policy 24.8.
I would prefer the response in electronic form (PDF scans or direct links to documents), as permitted under the FOIA. If the Council intends to apply any fees or charges for this request under the FOIA fees regulations, please notify me of the amount and the calculation before proceeding.
Please treat this request under the standard FOI Act timescales. If any part of this request is refused, please provide the specific exemption relied upon.

Yours faithfully,

Sylwester Zwierzynski

FOI ABOUT PRINTING SERVICES
FOI 15.2.25

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information regarding the production and distribution of the “Town Council Report 2025.”
Specifically, I request the following information:
1. A copy of the invoice(s) for printing the “Town Council Report 2025”
2. The name of the printing company that produced the report
3. A technical specification for printing (file format, paper quality in GSM, any other)
4. The total number of copies printed and cost
5. The total cost of distribution
6. Information on whether Council workers were involved in the distribution:
If yes:
– the number of Council workers involved
– The total number of hours worked on distribution
– Any associated costs for this work

If no:
– invoice for distribution cost

I would prefer to receive this information by email at info@shirebrook247.com
I understand that under the Freedom of Information Act, you have 20 working days to respond to this request. I also acknowledge that you may charge a fee for providing this information, and I am willing to pay reasonable charges if necessary. Please inform me if any fees will be charged before proceeding with the request.
If you need any clarification or have any questions about this request, please don’t hesitate to contact me at xxxxxxxxxxxx or info@shirebrook247.com

Yours faithfully
Sylwester Zwierzynski

THE END
Before the publication of this text, I sent those FOIs again to the Chair, Vice Chair, and Town Clerk. I will wait for a response, but I think I’m done with FOIs. It’s just a waste of time under the Labour regime.