11 replies from public bodies past their due date; 9 late or with questions left open.
Read the highlight report
This period:
Deadline ledger: 57 requests to 21 bodies set against FOIA s.10, EIR reg 5(2) and 11(4), UK GDPR Art 12(3), the s.45 Code of Practice, or the body's own published standard
Dartboard: 20 markers placed at each missed due date, tap-to-expand detail
Email archive: 39 case emails ingested into the archive and email calendar
Due in the next 7 days:
Mon 26 Oct · Vale of Glamorgan Council · EIR: removal of a commemorative tree
Mon 26 Oct · Vale of Glamorgan Council · EIR: s.52/land charges and planning records, Great House Farm / Church View Close
Mon 26 Oct · South Wales Police · Internal review of 719/26
Mon 26 Oct · Wales Office / NIO · Farm ownership records: internal review
Wed 28 Oct · Vale of Glamorgan Council · Formal concern, preservation and subject access
Wed 28 Oct · HM Land Registry · Subject access request: titles WA231076 and WA240304
…and 2 more in the full report
Top grounds to reopen the case:
1. The farmhouse's separate 1983 registration while the 1974 action stood unheard
2. Whether the 1974 letters were rejected in writing
3. Whether a binding sale existed when the October 1974 letters were written
Under ref 2026/4460 we confirm occurrence books end in 1984 and station logs in 1979; the 1988 Weekly Orders exist but are closed as they name serving officers, though a paid search can be commissioned; we hold no press-office files for the period.
“as they include details of serving police members you will not be able to access these volumes”
The family’s Instagram reel explained the 1841 tithe apportionment: the Marquess of Bute as landowner, John Williams as occupier, 36 parcels of about 119 acres.
We hold five metadata records and digital resources on Great House Farm/Tŷ Mawr, including Coflein, Glamorgan-Gwent HER entries covering the 1990 excavation and demolition, and the 1994 Cotswold Archaeology publication and dataset.
“The ADS holds the following metadata records and digital resources”
We respond to request FOI2026/23886 on 1936–1955 Great House Farm records; our search of paper and electronic records found the information is not held, though it may be held by the Welsh Government.
Under EIR regulation 12(4)(a) we said we hold no information matching the request, but noted that archaeological report microfiches, including any Welsh material, were transferred to RCAHMW on 12 January 2018.
“I am unable to provide you with anything on this occasion, as we do not hold any information that falls within the scope of your request”
We send our disclosure response to ATISN 26-0010 on retention and destruction schedules, noting that some of the requested information may not be specifically recorded.
“Thank you for your request which I received on 10 October”
We confirm receipt of your request of 28 September 2026 and attach our response letter covering Welsh Office/Cadw papers for Great House Farm from the second half of 1988.
“Thank you for your request which was received on 28 September 2026. Please see attached response.”
We explain our search covered Great House Farm, Ty Mawr Farm, Llandough and related place names, included the earliest Cardiff Museum accession registers, and confirm no further search log is held.
“searches of the earliest accession registers encompass the former Cardiff Museum accession records, which became part of the National Museum of Wales collection without re-accessioning”
We answered your 48-item schedule on Great House Farm, confirming most items are either published on Archwilio or not held by the HER, and refusing to release change-log data as personal information under UK GDPR.
“We are unable to release a copy of this information because it contains personal data that is protected under UK GDPR legislation.”
We confirm the HER source file has been digitised onto Archwilio under record 02038s, including Suggett 1988, and a physical search found no further material held; we will answer the 19 September points by 21 October.
“Having undertaken a physical search of our records, I can confirm that no further information is held within the HER source file.”
We checked Bridgend, Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil along with local crematoria and found no death, burial or cremation record for Mary Doreen Williams in early 1983, so we again point you to the General Register Office using Volume 28, Page 3029.
“do not hold a death record for Mary Doreen Williams in the March qtr of 1983”
We confirm Cardiff Register Office does not hold the death registration for Mary Doreen Williams, cite a FreeBMD index reference of Volume 28, Page 3029, and suggest ordering a certificate through the General Register Office head office in Southport.
We confirm no separate record exists explaining why certain finds were excluded from FOI 2026-024; staff judged they did not relate to the reported discovery, and nothing is being withheld.
“staff concluded that those records did not relate to the specific discovery described in your request and therefore fell outside its scope”
We confirm no exclusion schedule exists, reclassify MS 3360/3 as outside scope since it concerns a different property in the Parish of Llanfair, and maintain our earlier answer on Ref 13.2's location.
“it relates to a holding in the Parish of Llanfair and not to Great House Farm/Tŷ Mawr, Llandough (near Penarth/Cardiff)”
We are refusing the 21 September information request under section 12, as we estimate reviewing 14 years of minutes (around 224 sets) would take over 37 hours, well above the 18-hour statutory limit.
“We estimate this will exceed the limit provided for by the regulations and therefore your request is refused on the grounds provided for under section 12 of the act.”
We have completed the internal review of the Freedom of Information request FOI 260813002, originally requested on 13 August 2026, and attach the outcome letter.
“Please find attached a letter with the outcome of the review”
We confirm that Planning and Environment Decisions Wales holds no records for Great House Farm / Tŷ Mawr, Llandough-juxta-Penarth, or for planning applications 89/01396/OUT and 92/00671/RES, after searching all electronic records.
We confirm no catalogue record identifies Great House Farm within MS 3360/3 beyond the one page already disclosed, and no further recorded information on this exists; we have nothing further to add.
“No further recorded information relating to Great House Farm has been identified within the material held under reference MS 3360/3”
We hold no separate filtered schedule of excluded search results, but confirm MS 3360/3 records Great House as part of the 1924 Llandough Estate sale, occupied by W.G. Thomas & Sons, about 202 acres, in the Parish of Llanfair, homestead in the Village of Llandough; Ref 13.2 is catalogued as a waterwheel from Llandough Farm (opposite hospital).
“Great House" formed part of the Llandough Estate sale particulars of 1924, was occupied by W.G. Thomas & Sons, comprised approximately 202 acres, was situated in the Parish of Llanfair”
We confirm our searches of registered files and the full NMRW archive, including uncatalogued material, were extensive and found nothing further on Great House Farm, apart from Archive 6048945; aerial photograph searches would incur a charge.
Following further enquiries for FOI 2026-036, we identify two additional records: a waterwheel collected from Llandough Farm in 1979 (Ref 13.2) and a page from the 1924 Llandough Estate sale document (MS 3360/3); no other Great House Farm records were found.
“No further records relating specifically to Great House Farm / Ty Mawr / Llandough Farm, Llandough were identified”
We hold no deeds for the 1877 Daniel Thomas transaction, but suggest searching D696 Western Ground Rents or Bute X.6(12) at Cardiff Library. We also point you to the 1910 Land Valuation Survey maps at the National Archives, sheet Glamorgan XLVII.6.
“we do not appear to hold any deeds relating to this transaction”
South Wales Police issued its response to FOI request 1040/26, attaching the reply and review procedure, and invited escalation to the Information Commissioner if dissatisfied.
“Your request for information has now been considered and our response is attached”
We confirm no letters or records about Great House Farm, Llandough exist in our registered files, and that our archive (NPRN 20182) holds the only relevant material, listed on Coflein; aerial photo searches would involve a charge. We also quote the historic description of the farmhouse from GGAT02038s.
“Great House was the chief freehold farm of the parish”
We confirmed our position is unchanged, no further records on Great House Farm or you have been found, and unless new information arises we will not respond to further enquiries on this property.
“we will be unable to respond to further enquiries relating to this property, or points already addressed”
We confirm our collections system does not group records by similar place names and hold no recorded information linking the two Llandough farms, nor any separate record explaining the earlier conclusion that certain finds were unrelated.
“we do not hold any separate recorded information explaining the basis on which staff concluded that the identified records were unrelated”
We confirm no 1974 demolition petition is held, no withdrawn records exist for 1950–1989, and suggest Cadw and the Royal Commission for scheduling questions. A paid search of rate books UC/73/1-5 for ownership evidence is available at £50, and planning files may sit with the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
“There are not any records that have been withdrawn from our collections that would have provided additional information”
We confirm holding some records on Great House Farm/Tŷ Mawr: the original four search terms found nothing in the PRO and RW series, but a wider search of twelve further terms and the BP Properties court case produced some catalogue results; further archival research would need a paid search.
“We are unable to conduct this research on the archival collections on your behalf without charging fees”
We have completed the internal review of FOI 2026-024 and find the original location-based search methodology reasonable and proportionate, rejecting the request for broader search terms such as Roman or military burial references.
“the relevant issue is not whether every conceivable search term has been used, but whether the authority has undertaken searches that are reasonable and proportionate”
We disclose records on other archaeological discoveries at Great House Farm and Church Farm, Llandough under FOI 2026-032, with third-party personal data redacted under section 40(2), plus public reference links.
“We have identified a number of records relating to archaeological discoveries recorded at Great House Farm and Church Farm, both at Llandough”
We send our formal response to FOI request 26FOI 103, indicating the Wales Office does not hold the requested records and pointing to the Welsh Government for any transferred files.
“Please see the attached response in respect of your FOI request to the Wales Office”
The Chair replied that the Clerk had already directed the family to all the information the council holds on the matter and said there is nothing more to add.
The Council states the councillor conduct issue is concluded, as it cannot compel a member to respond and found no breach of the Code of Conduct. It will not rule on land ownership or historic disputes but is checking records on the tree removal.
We forwarded the response from HM Land Registry's Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar, acknowledging it may be disappointing, and said a full reply from the Ministry of Justice is still awaited and will be passed on once received.
We repeated that no records relating to Great House Farm or you have been located, and that we cannot confirm whether historical records once existed or when any were removed, citing the 1980s demolition and retention limits.
“we do not hold any corresponding account information, customer records, deletion logs, or audit records”
We answered the FOI request on the Llandough Primary School land, providing the 11 June 1965 conveyance between Lakeside and Llandough Development Company Limited, Western Ground Rents Limited and Glamorgan County Council, with a purchase price of £16,800.
“The consideration recorded in the 1965 Conveyance is £16,800”
We corrected the DBDT/79/1 catalogue description and confirm it is a counterpart lease of 2 May 1877 between the Marquess of Bute's trustees and John Williams, describing land in Pembroke Terrace only, with no mention of Llandough or Great House Farm. A digital plan copy costs £15.60.
“There is no mention of Llandough, Great House Farm or Ty Mawr or any other property outside of Pembroke Terrace.”
We confirm we only hold William Buckler's 1990 death record; Mary Doreen Williams' 1983 record is not held by us or Barry Register Office. We cannot comment on individual cases and direct you to GRO head office with the volume and page number for that certificate.
“we cannot comment on individual cases and that is the case for the solicitor”
We confirm we hold the death record for William Buckler and set out certificate purchase options (£38.50 priority or £12.50 standard), but we cannot locate the death entry for Mary Doreen Williams.
“I can confirm that we hold the record for William Buckler but unfortunately I cannot locate the death entry for Mary Doreen Williams”
The Museum's internal review upholds the original finding that it holds no records of furniture or movable property from Great House Farm, confirming the general records found were outside the request's scope and searches were adequate.
We confirm DBDT/10/19 describes Daniel Thomas only as a Cardiff builder with no further details, and we hold no further deeds between Daniel or Alfred Thomas and the Bute Estate, nor quarrying records for Llandough or Great House Farm. We point you to Cardiff Library's Bute Estate finding aid, D696, and external sources for probate and maps.
“There are no additional deeds described on our catalogue between Daniel or Alfred Thomas and the Bute Estate”
Cadw confirms it has now released all records it holds on the 1988 listing decision and has nothing further to add, directing the family to the Welsh Government complaints process if still dissatisfied.
“we have now provided all the information that we hold, which taken together with our previous emails, I consider to be self-explanatory”
We confirmed that after further review we hold no records relating to Great House Farm (Ty Mawr) or to you, noting the property was demolished in the 1980s and any such records would fall outside our retention periods.
“we have been unable to locate any records relating to the property following the searches undertaken”
We confirm all records we hold on Great House Farm have already been released under ATISN 27021, explain that 1988 retention policy for unsuccessful listings was likely around three years, and direct HER queries to Heneb.
“it is likely that records of unsuccessful listings were only retained for a short period, usually about 3 years”
We checked BP's records and found no documents concerning Great House Farm from before 1955, noting that BP did not acquire the property until the 1960s.
“unable to locate any documents concerning the matter prior to 1955”
The Museum states it holds no records of a visor, lance, helmet or armour, or of the reported discovery of a soldier and animal remains at Great House Farm, though unrelated archaeological finds from Church Farm and the same site were located.
We explained that as Monitoring Officer we assessed whether the correspondence chronology disclosed evidence capable of breaching the Code of Conduct, considered the principal obligations on members, and concluded no such evidence was found.
“did not disclose evidence of disrespectful behaviour, bullying, harassment, misuse of position”
We confirm our Michaelston-le-pit burial register only runs to 1980 and we hold no Dinas Powys registers for the relevant dates, but suggest a searchable Llandough register (1877/3/3) to 2009. We offer archive visits by appointment or a paid research service at £60 per hour.
We confirm that no court file, finding aid, register, or destruction record survives for these 1974 possession proceedings; paper records like these would normally be destroyed three years after the last transaction under our retention rules.
“No surviving court file relating to the proceedings specified in your request has been identified.”
We hold no records going back that far and say Data Protection would prevent release even if we did; we suggest contacting the registrars office in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan instead.
“we do not hold ay records dating back this far and Data Protection would not allow us to release these either if they were held”
We confirm that coroners hold office under the Crown, not as local government officers, and so coroners' records fall outside the Freedom of Information Act 2000 access regime.
“Coroners are not designated as public authorities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000”
We checked our system and found no records for William Buckler or Mary Doreen Williams, and we advise that Cardiff and Vale cases before 2002 should be directed to the Glamorgan Archivist.
“Cardiff and Vale cases prior to 2002 should be with the Glamorgan Archivist”
We confirmed that the BP Archive only holds material up to the end of 1954 and that access to post-1954 records is not available to external researchers due to resource constraints.
“access to post-1954 materials held in the BP Archive is not available”
The Museum reports extra searches across collections systems, archived IT records and multiple databases using terms like Great House Farm, Ty Mawr and Buckler, finding only general material but nothing on furniture, provenance or correspondence within scope.
“no information was identified concerning furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property”
As Monitoring Officer, we found the complaint about the ward councillor and Great House Farm falls outside the Corporate Concerns and Complaints Policy as it concerns historic planning, enforcement and land matters, and found no evidence of a Code of Conduct breach, so no further action will be taken.
“I have not identified evidence which would indicate a breach of the Members Code of Conduct.”
We reported that a catalogue search using Great House Farm, Ty Mawr, Llandough and Cedfin combined with Glamorgan in the PRO and RW series produced no results, and suggested guides or paid search options instead.
We point to digitised Marconi-related catalogue entries and images for Great House Farm, list two files viewable by appointment only, and note our library's secondary sources on Marconi.
We confirm we searched our full catalogue across all centuries for your Marconi/Great House Farm query, found no restricted material applies given the age of the records, and note that relevant items are held at BT Archives.
“it's very unlikely anyone would still be alive and have any personal information that would still be up-to-date”
We confirm that after searching our collections systems we hold no records of furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property from Great House Farm, Llandough, though archaeological finds remain a separate matter under a different request.
“Amgueddfa Cymru has not identified any furniture, furnishings, antiques, fixtures, heirlooms or other movable property recorded as originating from Great House Farm”
We confirmed searches covered both catalogued and uncatalogued items using all requested keywords, found no relevant matches for Great House Farm, Llandough or Lavernock, and said items for Penarth or Williams were unrelated or held at BT Archives, which we had not separately checked for digitisation status.
“nothing came up about people who participated to the demonstrations”
We confirm all records were checked, no further information or destruction record exists, and no transfer lists to the RCAHMW survive; you may complain to the Information Commissioner if dissatisfied.
“we do not have any further information which would help with your search for the relevant information”
We attach the outcome of the internal review requested on 20 July 2026, confirming the review took account of the clarification you provided that day about documentary records rather than physical objects.
“Please find attached the outcome of the internal review that you requested on the 20 July 2026.”
We found no records mentioning Great House Farm, Llandough, Penarth, Lavernock, or a named Williams connection, and advised that Marconi and GPO wireless telegraphy files are mostly held at BT Archives, suggesting Glamorgan Archives too.
“Almost all the files related to Marconi are held in BT Archives”
We searched for Great House Farm, Llandough, Lavernock and wireless demonstration keywords and found nothing relevant, confirming that Marconi and Telegraph Department files are all held at BT Archives.
We confirmed all the listed search terms were used across our catalogue and accessions database, covering uncatalogued material and relevant deposits, with no relevant results found and no record of anything being transferred elsewhere.
After searching our catalogue, we confirmed we hold no records relating to engineering activities at Cardiff Post Office, Marconi's experiments at Lavernock Point, or any connection between the engineering team and the family.
We searched our university catalogues and accessions register for the listed topics but found no results, and suggested Cathays Branch and Heritage Library's Marconi-related books and local newspapers as possible leads.
We confirmed we hold no Cardiff Post Office or General Post Office records in our collection and suggested Glamorgan Archives, as the local authority repository, is most likely to hold relevant material for Cardiff and Penarth.
“We do not hold any records from the Cardiff Post Office/General Post Office in our collection”
We confirmed we hold no records of past Post Office employees and suggested contacting the Postal Museum and Archives for information about the family's grandfather's work at Cardiff Post Office in 1897.
“Glamorgan Archives does not hold records of past employees of the Post Office”
We checked the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire staff calendars for 1896/97, 1897/98 and 1898/99 and found no Engineering staff listed under the surname Williams.
“We did not find any Engineering staff with the surname Williams for 1896/97, 1897/98, or 1898/99”
We have completed our review of Freedom of Information request 719/26 and attach our response, along with details of the review procedure and the right to contact the Information Commissioner if dissatisfied.
We confirm the two 1988 photographs relate to a listing inspection, that no official file survives, that it was most likely destroyed, and that all eight search categories were checked with no further records found.
We confirm planning records for Great House Farm and Church View Close are already public via our planning register; archaeological material not in our files should be sought from Heneb, and no further information was found.
“no additional information has been identified within the scope of your request”
We sent our response to request 260607013, indicating we do not hold the court proceeding records sought and pointing toward the County Court as a possible source.
“Please see the attached response to your request (our reference 260607013)”
We identify file D153/1-8 on Llandough deeds including land formerly part of Great House Farm, and the D219 Llandough leases mentioning Ty Mawr Farm, but say further search requires a visit to the Library.
“land (33 a.), formerly part of Great House Farm, for the Llandough Limeworks (33 a.), 1876-1912 (D153/4-8)”
We have identified two planning applications that may relate to Great House Farm and direct you to our online planning register and maps for further detail.
“the two applications that may be of relevance, for the information you are seeking are noted below”
Library staff reported no matches for Great Farm House, Llandough or Daniel Thomas, said Williams is too common a surname without more detail, and suggested contacting Glamorgan Archives with any quarry-deal reference numbers.
“I'm afraid last name Williams is too popular to conduct any research without further details”
Glamorgan Archives confirmed no plans are listed for Great House Farm, gave catalogue references (2026/2475, 2482, 2503), and pointed to Vale of Glamorgan Council, Warwick's BP Archive, and Bute Estate or Western Ground Rents records for the Daniel Thomas agreement.
We supplied available accession details for three archives, noted a possible 'Mrs Buckler' source on record 6048942 and a mention of lost 1986/87 correspondence on record 6048945, and said fuller content can be viewed in our Search Room.
“Correspondence between C.N. Johns and Mrs Buckler, Great House Farm, has been lost since 1986/87”
We provided a link to the full list of archives held for the site and explained that clicking each red Archive Number opens the catalogue entry with titles, dates and descriptions, though some items lack full data.
“This will include information such as titles, dates, and descriptions, albeit we may not have information such as dates for all items”
We searched our catalogue and found records including a 1938 auction booklet for Great House Farm, a 1924 sale of parts of the Llandough Estate, and a sketch by a family member of the farm's former layout.
We checked our catalogue and found no petition record for 'Great House' or 'Ty Mawr' farm, and suggested you search the online catalogue yourself or visit us free of charge by appointment.
“we do not have a petition relating to ‘Great House’ or Ty Mawr’ farm”
We repeated the details of the 14 archives on Great House Farm, provided an electronic copy of Archive Number 6524751, and confirmed we hold no correspondence related to the site.
“we do not hold any correspondence related to the site”
We confirm that Great House Farm and its barn were assessed and rejected for listing in the 1988 community survey of Llandough, and enclose two photographs from 29 July 1988. We hold no other electronic records, continue searching paper files including Welsh Office material, and suggest several archives that may hold further information.
“they were assessed and rejected for listing in the 1988 community survey of Llandough”
We identify a funds ledger (ACA/8/2) as the only 1974 Cardiff County Court record transferred to us, covering periodical payment orders, but note access is restricted under data protection as some orders concern infants; we ask for more case details to advise further.
“access to this ledger would be restricted in accordance with data protection legislation”
We confirm we hold no further manorial finding aids beyond the online MDR, and point to the court book D/D B M/3 (1884-1937) at Glamorgan Archives and the Bute Estate Archives (ref DB) there, plus the NLW paper catalogue NRA 581 (pages 113-116, ref M17) covering the Llandough manors, noting the farm may have shifted from copyhold to leasehold tenure by 1900.
“We do not hold any other finding manorial finding aids such as old index cards”
We reviewed the original Manorial Documents Committee return for Llandough (HMC9/311) and found it adds little beyond the existing MDR entries. We suggest searching the National Library of Wales catalogue, especially the Penrice and Margam Estate Records, and ask for a rough date for the 'Williams's Title' document.
“it provides less information than the existing entries on the on-line MDR”
We explain the Manorial Documents Register only gives general descriptions, list the National Library of Wales, Glamorgan Archives and West Glamorgan Archives as holders of Llandough manorial records, and say we are checking the original 1920s survey returns (Ref. HMC 9/311) for more detail.
“I have requested to see the original returns for Manor of Llandough to see if they can provide any additional information”
We explain that original paper catalogues and card indexes were not kept after digitisation, and that if a document is permanently withdrawn from the collection its catalogue description is removed, since many records are privately owned deposits.
“The original catalogues and cards were not retained.”
We hold no records relating to your enquiry and clarify that the Manorial Documents Register only locates manorial documents rather than recording ownership or descent of title; we direct you to HM Land Registry for record-management concerns.
“is a register for the location of manorial documents and not of the ownership and descent of manorial titles”
We confirm we do not annotate or review records in light of unresolved disputes, and that a search of series J 157, J 83 and J 84 found nothing relevant to the Court of Appeal case you described.
“we would not add notes to, or review, records in light of unresolved disputes or other matters”
