Closure of Station Approach, Yiewsley

The request was refused by Hillingdon Borough Council.

Dear Hillingdon Borough Council,

Please supply a copy (redacted as necessary to remove contact details of any non-public facing employees ) of the letter received recently by the council from Network Rail headquarters concerning the reopening of Station Approach, Yiewsley to public service vehicles, in response to the letter from Fran Beasley CEO and Corporate Director to Andrew Haines.

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Hogan

Residents Services FOI, Hillingdon Borough Council

Dear Christopher Hogan,
I am writing in response to your request for information under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000, received on 16/05/2021
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we have 20 working days to
respond to your requests.  Therefore, the deadline for our response is
14/06/2021.
“Your request for information may be delayed due to urgent operational
responses to dealing with Covid_19 priorities. We apologise for any
inconvenience this may cause. We do remain committed to responding to your
request and will respond as soon as we are able. Should our response to
your request breach the statutory timeframe and you remain unhappy with
our response, you have the right to complain to the Information
Commissioners Office. Their contact details are Information Commissioner's
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF”.
If we require further information or clarification from you to assist us
in responding to your request, or if we require a fee to be paid before we
can respond we will contact you shortly.
Yours sincerely
Riviane Araujo
Members Enquiries Monitoring Officer
Corporate Services and Resources
London Borough of Hillingdon
www.hillingdon.gov.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Chris Hogan <[FOI #755712 email]>
Sent: 16 May 2021 19:05
To: FOI <[Hillingdon Borough Council request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Closure of Station Approach,
Yiewsley
 
Dear Hillingdon Borough Council,

Please supply a copy (redacted as necessary to remove contact details of
any non-public facing employees ) of the letter received recently by the
council from Network Rail headquarters concerning the reopening of Station
Approach, Yiewsley to public service vehicles, in response to the letter
from Fran Beasley CEO and Corporate Director to Andrew Haines.

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Hogan

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #755712 email]

Is [Hillingdon Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Hillingdon Borough Council? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[1]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

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For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[3]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
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show quoted sections

FOI, Hillingdon Borough Council

FOI 8857084
Dear Christopher Hogan, 

I am writing in response to your request for information below. 

  

We decline to provide a response pursuant to section 14 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 as your request is substantially similar to your
previous request.    

 

If you have any queries regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to
contact me. 

If you wish to request an internal review of our response you should
write, within 2 months, to:

Office Managing Partner, Legal Services, Civic Centre, High St, Uxbridge,
UB8 1UW (or via email to [1][Hillingdon Borough Council request email] marked for the attention
of the Office Managing Partner).

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. 

Kind regards, 
Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer | London Borough of
Hillingdon | Legal Services 3E/04
Tel: 01895 55 6351 | FOI Email: [2][Hillingdon Borough Council request email] | SAR
Email: [3][email address
Address: London Borough of Hillingdon Civic Centre, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Residents Services FOI <[email address]>
Sent: 17 May 2021 14:54
To: [FOI #755712 email]
<[FOI #755712 email]>
Cc: FOI <[Hillingdon Borough Council request email]>
Subject: FOI 8857084 - From Christopher Hogan - Due on 14th June 2021
 
Dear Christopher Hogan,
I am writing in response to your request for information under the Freedom
of Information Act 2000, received on 16/05/2021
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we have 20 working days to
respond to your requests.  Therefore, the deadline for our response is
14/06/2021.
“Your request for information may be delayed due to urgent operational
responses to dealing with Covid_19 priorities. We apologise for any
inconvenience this may cause. We do remain committed to responding to your
request and will respond as soon as we are able. Should our response to
your request breach the statutory timeframe and you remain unhappy with
our response, you have the right to complain to the Information
Commissioners Office. Their contact details are Information Commissioner's
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF”.
If we require further information or clarification from you to assist us
in responding to your request, or if we require a fee to be paid before we
can respond we will contact you shortly.
Yours sincerely
Riviane Araujo
Members Enquiries Monitoring Officer
Corporate Services and Resources
London Borough of Hillingdon
www.hillingdon.gov.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Chris Hogan <[FOI #755712 email]>
Sent: 16 May 2021 19:05
To: FOI <[Hillingdon Borough Council request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Closure of Station Approach,
Yiewsley
 
Dear Hillingdon Borough Council,

Please supply a copy (redacted as necessary to remove contact details of
any non-public facing employees ) of the letter received recently by the
council from Network Rail headquarters concerning the reopening of Station
Approach, Yiewsley to public service vehicles, in response to the letter
from Fran Beasley CEO and Corporate Director to Andrew Haines.

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Hogan

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #755712 email]

Is [Hillingdon Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Hillingdon Borough Council? If so, please contact us using
this form:
[4]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[6]https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

show quoted sections

Dear Hillingdon Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Hillingdon Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Closure of Station Approach, Yiewsley'. (FOI 8857084)

You state that "We decline to provide a response pursuant to section 14 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 as your request is substantially similar to your
previous request. "

My previous request was for information between the three public bodies involved in this closure: Network Rail Infrastructure Limited; Transport for London and the London Borough of Hillingdon. You replied on 20th January 2021 and rejected my request on two grounds:
1. To be absolutely clear, Station Approach in [Yiewsley] is not [a] public highway. Network Rail are (sic) the landowner and therefore are [sic] directly responsible for maintaining the carriageway and London Buses [sic] is the public authority responsible for how the bus services operate within the area. Hillingdon Council has no direct responsibility for the safety and maintenance of Station Approach, [Yiewsley].
2. Whilst the Council has offered and provided support to Network Rail in the best interest of Hillingdon residents, the information shared by Network Rail has been provided in confidence and is therefore withheld under section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This is because the information could materially affect future tendering for highway construction works and should therefore remain confidential for commercial reasons under section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2020.

Your refusal to release any information is challenged on both counts:
1. The London Borough of Hillingdon’s claim that because Station Approach, Yiewsley is not a public highway and therefore has no involvement with this matter. The Act is about disclosure of information held by public authorities and not about ownership or responsibility of the subject matter.
2. It is clear from Network Rail’s disclosure and to a letter extent the TfL disclosure that the London Borough of Hillingdon has far more documentation that simply the tender documents for the repair works, and the other documentation as summarised by Network Rail should have been disclosed to me. The majority of documentation will not engage Section 43 of the Act as this would have related to discussions between the public bodies on the way forward. Hence this reason for non-disclosure is also, in my submission, invalid. The tiny amount of documentation that engaged Section 43 in the Council’s submission could have reacted or withheld said documents.

Request FOI 8857084 now refused has no similarity with the previous request. The current FOI request is for the copy of a letter (redacted as necessary) that was sent to the London Borough of Hillingdon after the date of the previous request (20th December 2020). It therefore cannot be considered to be "substantially similar" as it post-dated my earlier request. I find it amazing that as a resident of West Drayton, that has suffered from the enforced closure of a key public transport interchange, that my local authority should continue to hide its involvement in this matter.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Hogan

Glen Egan, Hillingdon Borough Council

Dear Christopher Hogan,
I write to acknowledge receipt of your request for an Internal Review of
the above.
I will be in touch within 20 working days.
Yours sincerely

Glen Egan 

Office Managing Partner | London Borough of Hillingdon | Legal Services
3E/04  

DX 45101 UXBRIDGE |Tel: 01895 277602  | E-mail:
[1][email address]
Hillingdon Council routinely monitors the content of emails sent and
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message you may not copy, forward, disclose or otherwise use it or any
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by mistake please advise the sender immediately. Where opinions are
expressed they are not necessarily those of the London Borough of
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Glen Egan, Hillingdon Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Hogan
Please find letter attached.
Kind regards

Glen Egan 

Office Managing Partner | London Borough of Hillingdon | Legal Services
3E/04  

DX 45101 UXBRIDGE |Tel: 01895 277602  | E-mail:
[1][email address]
Hillingdon Council routinely monitors the content of emails sent and
received via its network for the purposes of ensuring compliance with its
policies and procedures. The contents of this message are for the
attention and use of the intended addressee only. If you are not the
intended recipient or addressee, or the person responsible for sending the
message you may not copy, forward, disclose or otherwise use it or any
part of it in any way. To do so may be unlawful. If you receive this email
by mistake please advise the sender immediately. Where opinions are
expressed they are not necessarily those of the London Borough of
Hillingdon. Service by email is not accepted unless by prior agreement.

References

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