Commercial buildings information

I wish to determine the following information in the form of four questions below:

• How many > 2,000m2 commercial buildings classed according to the Buildings Code Requirements - Warehouses are there in England and Wales?
• How many >5,000m2 commercial buildings classed according to the Buildings Code Requirements - Warehouses are there in England and Wales?
• How many > 10,000m2 commercial buildings classed according to the Buildings Code Requirements - Warehouses are there in England and Wales?
• How many > 20,000m2 commercial buildings classed according to the Buildings Code Requirements - Warehouses are there in England and Wales?

I regret to inform you that your request falls within the Information accessible to applicant by other means exemption under section 21 (2) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). We believe this exemption applies because the information you have requested, is available by purchasing a licence for OS MasterMap® Address Layer 2 and OS MasterMap® Topography Layer, therefore we will not be releasing this information to you.

To purchase a licence please, contact our Customer Services Team on: 08456 05 05 05.

However, I would advise the information you are requesting may not be held in full by the above products.  When buildings are surveyed by Ordnance Survey, it is the interpretation of the surveyor as to whether the building classes as a ‘warehouse’ or a ‘commercial building’.  Please note we do not categorise buildings according to the Buildings Codes, and you may be able to obtain further information from The Valuation Office Agency, and may contact them as follows:

The Valuation Office Agency

93/107 Shaftesbury Avenue

London

W1D 5BU

 Tel: 020 7506 1700

www.voa.gov.uk

As section 21 (2) (a) applies in this case, which is an absolute exemption, the public interest consideration (Section 17 FOIA) is not applicable in this instance.

Please note that your enquiry has been processed to Freedom of Information guidelines. If you are unhappy with our response, you may raise an appeal to our Appeals Officer at:

Complaints Team

Customer Service Centre

Ordnance Survey

Romsey Road

SOUTHAMPTON

SO16 4GU

Please include the reference number below. The Appeals Officer will ensure that the process has been followed correctly, questioning any decisions taken regarding the original response and recommending disclosure of additional information if appropriate.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Reference number: FOI1047/March 2010