THE Ombudsman - as well as the European Commission - is now being asked to decide whether Bolton Council's £30 fee for photocopies of planning documents is fair.

The Green Party's local spokesman, Graeme McIver, has written to the Local Government Ombudsman in York asking for a ruling on the council's charging policy. As reported in the BEN, the Green Party, Friends of the Earth and local ecological consultant Dave Bentley have branded the charge a rip-off and claim it deprives the public of access to vital information.

Friends of the Earth have asked the EC to investigate whether Bolton is stifling access to public information by prohibitive charging.

The BEN has since reported that the council is looking again at its charging policy after the paper discovered that many neighbouring councils charge far less.

The Greens' Mr McIver said today: "The rules for local government state that they have to make copies available for a reasonable fee. A flat charge of £30 is not reasonable and I have asked for a ruling from the Ombudsman to that effect.

"I support the suggestion others have made that Bolton should supply a coin operated photocopier in the planning office and charge 5p a sheet.

"This would make more money in the long run for the ratepayers of Bolton as not too many people are paying £30. But their main legal responsibility is to make copying available at a reasonable price.

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