Document

Our response

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In the calendar year 2015, there were 30,651 PCN’s issued in the Clapham Park Road bus lane and 5,682 of those were contested as an informal challenge and/or formal representation.

In accordance with Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.

The information is being withheld because from our preliminary assessment the following exemption applies to part of your request.

Section 12 (cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit)

The process of determining whether the information is held will exceed the appropriate limit as set out by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  As you may already be aware, the Council can refuse to comply with a request if the cost of compliance will exceed the appropriate limit under section 12.  The limit is currently set at £450 which is the equivalent to 18 hours at £25 per hour.

The appropriate limit applies to costs the council reasonable expects to incur in carrying out the following permitted activities to comply with your request:

·         Determine whether the information is held

·         Locating the information or documents containing the information

·         Retrieving such information or documents, including reading a file for the first time

·         Extracting the information from the document containing it

Your request details a large volume of information, not all of which can be extracted from our systems in a straightforward fashion. The process of retrieving and collecting the data is likely to take well in excess of the 18 hours stipulated in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because we are unable to distinguish between challenges and representations on our reporting. In order to do so, we would need to look at individual case records and that examining the system record for each of the 5,682 records would exceed the statutory time frame (1 minute per record).

Right to Review

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your Freedom of Information request has been dealt with you can request an internal review. Tell us why you are unhappy with our response within 40 working days, and it will be looked at afresh. We will aim to provide you with our review response within 20 working days. 

By email: [Lambeth Borough Council request email] (Please quote the reference number above) or by writing to: 

Freedom of Information

Olive Morris House Brixton Hill

London

SW2 1RD 

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 0303 123 1113

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.