Freedom of information policy
Scope - which legislation applies to your request
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 is part of a family of legislation governing access to information including the Data Protection Act 2018, Environmental Information Regulations and Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations.
Requests for personal data are covered by Article 15 and Recital 63 of the General Data Protection Regulation. Individuals can request to see what information the council holds about them – known as a subject access request – and this must be dealt with according to the requirements of that act.
Requests for information about anything relating to the environment – such as air, water, land, the natural world or the built environment and any factor or measure affecting these – are covered by the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs). Requests are dealt with in the same way as for those made under the FOIA, but unlike the FOIA, requests do not need to be written and can be verbal.
The Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations allows individuals or organisations to request information from a public body which, if supplied, they can then, with the permission of that public body, re-use for their own commercial gain. This includes publishing, copying, adapting, developing, adding value, broadcasting and downloading. The council can choose whether to allow the re-use free of charge or to apply a fee to cover reasonable costs in addition to a reasonable return on any investment.
Last updated: 20/11/2023 09:30
