Torridge District Council should improve the information it shares with the public an auditor has found.

Between January 2022 and February 2024 the council received 1,675 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

The law allows people to request information from public bodies, which are obliged to publish certain information.

The Devon Audit Partnership (DAP) reported that the majority of FOI requests to Torridge were responded to within the 20-day deadline. They said there was “very large and disparate requests for information submitted across all council operations.”

Of the requests, around 270 were turned down, and 116 had exemptions which meant the council didn’t have to give an answer.

Paul Middlemass from the DAP said good arrangements are in place to manage FOI requests but said the council should include more detail on its website to keep the public informed.

A summary of internal audit reports for 2023/24 revealed that Torridge had a ‘sound system of governance’ in its community safety partnership, section 106 planning obligations and risk management.

There was also ‘scope for improvement’ in the purchasing of goods and services, freedom of information, council tax and non-domestic rates.