AN IT company partly owned by Teignbridge Council has come under fire for its lack of transparency.

Lib-Dem councillor Alistair Dewhirst reported the authority to the Information Commissioner after it failed to respond to his request to examine the minutes of the board meetings of Strata Service Solutions.

The business is also owned by Exeter City and East Devon District councils and provides the trio with a complete IT service.

In March, council members at a Strata scrutiny meeting voted to ask to see the minutes after it was revealed there was a possibility of adding more authorities to the company.

It was agreed that the request would be put to the executive of the business, and again Cllr Dewhirst insisted on seeing them but was once again refused.

Teignbride Council’s Freedom of Information Officer then accepted his request but four weeks later the council still hasn’t provided the information sought and asked for an additional week.

Now, eight weeks later, the council has still not released the information – and it is worrying Cllr Dewhirst.

‘As a district councillor I have a duty to know what is going on at this multi-million pound company.

‘What are they hiding?’

A Strata spokesman said: ‘Cllr Dewhirst’s current request is being considered under the new Freedom of Information Act.

‘Strata is committed to good governance and scrutiny, something which was positively highlighted in a recent external review of Teignbridge Council.’