Widemarsh Street and Maylord Orchards
Case reference FOI2026/01851
Received 3 August 2026
Published 9 September 2026
Request
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of commercial properties owned by the Council on Widemarsh Street and within the Maylord Orchards scheme.
Please could you provide the following recorded information for any commercial lettings, lease renewals or rent reviews completed within the last three years:
* Property address or unit number;
* Lease, renewal or rent review date;
* Lease term;
* Annual rent payable;
* Rent review dates, where applicable; and
* Break dates, where applicable.
I am compiling evidence of rents and lease terms for commercial properties within the local area. I do not require the names or personal details of any tenants, and these may be redacted from the response.
Please provide the information in spreadsheet format where reasonably practicable.
Response
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in respect of commercial properties owned by the Council on Widemarsh Street and within the Maylord Orchards scheme.
Please could you provide the following recorded information for any commercial lettings, lease renewals or rent reviews completed within the last three years:
* Property address or unit number;
* Lease, renewal or rent review date;
* Lease term;
* Annual rent payable;
* Rent review dates, where applicable; and
* Break dates, where applicable.
I am compiling evidence of rents and lease terms for commercial properties within the local area. I do not require the names or personal details of any tenants, and these may be redacted from the response.
Please provide the information in spreadsheet format where reasonably practicable.
Answer: Please see the attached FOI2026 01851 Response Spreadsheet, as requested.
The annual rate payable information has been withheld under Section 43 (1) and / or (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because disclosure would, or would be likely, to prejudice the commercial interests of Herefordshire Council.
In reaching this decision I have taken into account relevant guidance provided by the Information Commissioner's Office including whether the information in question is commercial or industrial.
Herefordshire Council is satisfied that the information to which the exemption has been applied contains information which could constitute a business secret as well as our commercial interests.
The council is able to consider its own economic interests and feels that confidentiality is required to protect its position as landlord. Disclosing this information would be likely to affect the ability of the council to negotiate best value and to effectively procure best value rent in the future.
The rent payable under a lease is determined through negotiation between the landlord and tenant, taking into account the specific terms of the lease as well as other relevant factors. Disclosing the annual rent in isolation could undermine the Council's ability to negotiate appropriate rental levels, as prospective tenants may seek to benchmark their agreements against previously agreed rents without considering the differing circumstances of each lease thus placing the Council at a commercial disadvantage.
Releasing details of agreed rents and the full circumstances surrounding them to an unidentified person/organisation could breach any expectation of confidentiality and damage the Council's reputation as a landlord. This, in turn, could make Council-owned premises less attractive to prospective tenants, potentially leading to reduced demand, delayed lettings, and a loss of rental income, which would be detrimental to the public purse.
In coming to this decision, I have weighed up the public interest for disclosure against the public interest in not disclosing the information and the commercial interests of Herefordshire Council as follows:
The public interest in disclosure:
Openness and transparency regarding the annual rent payable for commercial properties under lease.
The public interest in not disclosing the information and the commercial interests of Herefordshire Council
The rent payable under a lease is determined through negotiation between the landlord and tenant; disclosing the annual rent in isolation could undermine the Council's ability to negotiate appropriate rental levels, as prospective tenants may seek to benchmark their agreements against previously agreed rents without considering the differing circumstances of each lease thus placing the Council at a commercial disadvantage.
This in turn will affect the Council’s ability to negotiate best value in a competitive market by affecting our ability to negotiate rental agreements on an equal basis and to achieve competitive rents in the future, which could lead to loss of earnings.
Releasing details of agreed rents and the full circumstances surrounding them to an unidentified person/organisation could breach any expectation of confidentiality and damage the Council's reputation as a landlord, which in turn could cause loss of customer confidence in the Council.
Taking the above into consideration, I have found the public interest in disclosing the information in this case is outweighed by the public interest in not disclosing the information. Please therefore take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.