An exemplary use of WhatDoTheyKnow by the Centre for Public Data

The Centre for Public Data has released significant new research on property in England and Wales that is owned by individuals based overseas.

The work is based on material released through Freedom of Information requests made to the Land Registry via WhatDoTheyKnow.com.

The headline findings include:

  • Nearly 1% of properties registered in the UK are registered to individuals with an overseas correspondence address; this number has more than doubled since 2010.
  • The number of properties registered to individuals with an overseas correspondence address is now more than double the number registered to overseas companies.

The work cites and links to the source data on WhatDoTheyKnow (and WhatDoTheyKnow in turn links back to the analysis and commentary).

One of the benefits of making FOI requests via WhatDoTheyKnow is the ability to easily link to the source when taking action based on released information. Citing sources gives work credibility, and it also makes it easy for others to verify what has been done, build on it, or conduct their own analysis based on their particular interests. We want to encourage this kind of exemplary use of WhatDoTheyKnow for well-referenced FOI based research.

The data obtained, and presented, by the Centre for Public Data in this case may inform debate on a range of socially important issues including how overseas property owners, who may well be investors, affect the supply and affordability of housing.

The Centre for Public Data have provided a tool enabling searching of the data – this means local journalists (or others with an interest in a particular area) can quickly obtain localised data.

Image: Gary Stearman