Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2005 deal with official information held by public authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

These regulations give people the right to request information held by public authorities.

This 'right to know' allows you to access a range of recorded information held by the Council, such as emails, minutes of meetings, research or reports and is intended to promote a culture of openness and accountability.

Some information will also be available on this website and through our Publication Scheme, setting out details of the information available, how it can be obtained and whether there is a charge.  Additional information is also available through our Transparency pages.

Under the FOI Act, any person making a request in writing for information to a public authority is entitled:

• to be informed whether the authority holds information of that description,
• if so, to have it communicated to them (unless an FOI exemption applies).

Making an FOI or EIR Request

FOI requests must be made in writing. Requests under the Environmental Information Regulations 2005 may also be made verbally. Please contact us using the details below.

What to provide when making a request

• Please ensure you make your request as specific as possible, providing as much detail as you can to enable us to respond effectively.
• Tell us your preferred format for receiving the information, for example by email, or as a paper copy.

Once we receive sufficient information to process your request we have 20 working days to respond.