Joint Information Management Unit
Operational Headquarters
Tower Street
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 8ZD
Telephone
Direct Dial
101 023 8047 9580
Mr Jon Pennycook
Fax
Text Relay
request-530952-
01962 874201
18001 101
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Email Address
xxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxx.xx
26 November 2018
Our ref:
CM/PA/002727/18
Your ref:
Dear Mr Pennycook
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
I write in response to the above referenced Freedom of Information request submitted
on 08 November 2018, Hampshire Constabulary has now considered this request,
which has been repeated below and have responded accordingly.
Close passing of cyclists is both dangerous Hampshire Constabulary does not hold
and off-putting - 56% of cyclists in a survey this information in a retrievable format.
said "they were worried by close passes". The cost of determining if the
Close passes, and the fear of them, can information is held, locating and
put off new cyclists from continuing, and retrieving the information exceeds the
can cause experienced cyclists to stop ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the
cycling for a while whilst they recover. I Freedom of Information (Fees and
am frequently passed too closely whilst Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It
cycling on my way to work, or when I go is estimated that it would cost more
shopping - usually on roads like Hatch than £450 to comply with your request.
Warren Way (Basingstoke), Brighton Way
(Basingstoke), Harrow Way (Basingstoke), In relation to question 2 of your request,
Jays Close (Basingstoke), Grove Road this information is not held in a
(Basingstoke), Pack Lane (Basingstoke retrievable format as the recorded
and Oakley), and the B3400 between budget is not split within our safer roads
Basingstoke and Whitchurch.
department to enable us to provide you
with a figure specifically for the purpose
Waiting for cyclists to report close passes of preventing close passes. In order to
is not enough - not all cyclists have helmet answer this question a manual review of
cameras. Many cyclists do not believe that the budget would be required, to
the police care unless they see proactive ascertain how much is apportioned
action by the police.
solely for the purpose of preventing
close passes. The costs associated with
Can you tell me, for the area covered by such a review, would far exceed the
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council cost limit set by the FOI regulations.
(including Whitchurch, Tadley, Overton, In accordance with the Freedom of
Kingsclere, and almost to Hook), or for the Information Act 2000, if one element of
area covered by Hampshire County a request exceeds the statutory cost
Council (i.e. not unitary council areas like limit, the whole request may be refused
Southampton and Portsmouth):-
on grounds of cost. As such, this letter
acts as a Refusal Notice in respect of
1. What proactive action you have taken to your whole request. This does not,
show drivers that close passing of cyclists however, preclude us from supplying
is unacceptable? For example, use of the some information that is relevant to your
"Close Pass Mat" on roads.
request as a gesture of assistance and
with this in mind we have provided
2. How much of your budget has been some information below.
spent in those areas in support of
preventing (as opposed to reacting to)
Information Provided
close passes?
Although excess cost removes the
3. The number of reactive actions taken in force’s obligations under the Freedom
those areas after close passes or brake of Information Act, I have supplied
tests, e.g. charging drivers with careless or some information below, relative to your
dangerous driving?
request. I trust this is helpful, but it
does not affect our legal right to rely on
the fees regulations for the remainder
of your request.
In relation to question 1:
Across Hampshire and Thames Valley
the Road Safety Team have proactively
been targeting drivers who overtake
cyclists too close. We call this
operation ‘Give Space Be Safe’ and it
started following a visit to West
Midlands Police who initiated it.
In relation to question 3:
So far we have run 16 of this type of
operation and educated at our check
sites 124 drivers of cars, van and
lorries. We have been extremely
proactive in terms of telling people we
are doing this campaign by running
media campaigns on TV, Radio and
social media. Below is a link to one of
our operations which was covered by
BBC Inside Out and gives a good
overview on how our operation works:
https://youtu.be/k4qnxqDiDJs
We have additionally taken our
display and mat along to many events
to show the public what we are doing
and how we are raising awareness to
drivers who overtake too close to
cyclists.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS
If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision made by
Hampshire Constabulary, you can lodge a complaint with the force to have the
decision reviewed within 2 months of the date of this response. Complaints should be
made in writing to the Public Access office at the address at the top of this letter.
If, after lodging a complaint with Hampshire Constabulary, you are still unhappy with
the outcome, you may make an application to the Information Commissioner at the
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF, via telephone on 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745 or at the website
www.ico.org.uk
Yours sincerely
Amy McDonald
Public Access
Joint Information Management Unit