Freedom of information and Environmental Information Regulations

Freedom of Information Act 2000

The 2000 Act requires all public authorities to be open with information and therefore gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by us. It also sets out exemptions from that right and places various obligations upon us.

For further information, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website.

Environmental information regulations 2004 (EIR)

Definition

Environmental information is classed as any information that is about, concerning or relating to the various factors, elements and other items, as defined under EIR Regulation 2(1), which relate to or affect the environment.

For more information on FOIs and EIRs, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website.

How to request information

You might not need to wait if the information is already on our website. Please see our requesting information page.

There are a number of ways in which you can send in your request. You can:

complete our online request form
email us at foi@whitehorsedc.gov.uk or
write to the council’s Freedom of Information Officer at our address below.

We will acknowledge your request upon receipt and provide you with the information, subject to exemptions, within 20 working days.

Charging

If your request is likely to exceed £450 (18 hours at £25 per hour) we will help you refine your request and we will always undertake the public interest test before refusing any manifestly unreasonable requests. We wish to make as much information as possible available free of charge. However, some publications have a cover charge and where photocopies of documents are required, these will be charged for.

Our performance – response rates

We monitor our response rates for answering requests within our statutory time period against the Information Commissioner’s Office standards, which are: