Communication between the Planning Inspectorate and the Inspector regarding upheld complaint

The request was refused by Planning Inspectorate.

Philip OConnell

Dear Planning Inspectorate,

Please supply a copy of all records and notes including but not limited to recordings, emails, briefing notes and reports, that contain in whole or in part a record of, or summary of any discussions and correspondence between members of the Planning Inspectorate Customer Quality team and the Inspector (Appeal Ref: APP/M3455/W/18/3204828) related to the escalated and upheld complaint: PINS Reference 3204828, 28 November 2019 (Martin Long), and its original preceding complaint of 21 July 2019.

Yours faithfully,

Philip OConnell

PINS FOI Requests, Planning Inspectorate

Your email has been received by the Planning Inspectorate's Freedom of
Information team. We will log and allocate any request and may be in touch
if we need further information, or if it is your business areas
responsibility to answer the request.

[1]Coronavirus advice image with text saying stay alert, control the virus
and save lives

Please note that the contents of this email and any attachments are
privileged and/or confidential and intended solely for the use of the
intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of this email
and its attachments, you must take no action based upon them, nor must you
copy or show them to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you
have received this email in error and then delete this email from your
system.

Recipients should note that e-mail traffic on Planning Inspectorate
systems is subject to monitoring, recording and auditing to secure the
effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes. The
Planning Inspectorate has taken steps to keep this e-mail and any
attachments free from viruses. It accepts no liability for any loss or
damage caused as a result of any virus being passed on. It is the
responsibility of the recipient to perform all necessary checks.

The statements expressed in this e-mail are personal and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Inspectorate.

DPC:76616c646f72

[2]Environmental advice image with text saying please consider the
environment before printing this email

References

Visible links

Gray, Ashley, Planning Inspectorate

1 Attachment

Dear Mr O'Connell

Thank you for your email of 9 June, setting out your request for information relating to communications between the Customer Quality Team and the Inspector regarding your complaints about the decision for appeal reference APP/M3455/W/18/3204828.

The Inspector was appointed to consider all the submitted evidence and reach his own independent judgement on the merits of the proposal, applying weight to the relevant planning considerations, before making a decision in line with local planning policies unless material considerations justified taking a different position. The Inspector was required to provide his reasoning and conclusions on the appeal in his decision letter. As I have already sought to clarify in my earlier response, the only place where one might expect to find the Inspector's consideration of any matters that were submitted in evidence by the appeal parties would be in the decision itself, which does not specifically refer to the point you mention. This point has been expanded upon in separate correspondence between us.

Turning to your request: as it relates to a planning appeal, this information is considered to be ‘Environmental Information’ as defined in regulation 2(1)(c) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), and has been considered under the provisions of those Regulations. We consider that the information exchanged between ourselves and the Inspector during the investigation of your complaint falls under Regulation 12(4)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations.

Whilst we recognise that there is a public interest in understanding how complaints about appeal decisions are adjudicated, we nonetheless consider that disclosure of our internal correspondence relating to your complaints is exempt under EIR Regulation 12(4)(e). It is also accepted that there is public interest in transparency, but the Inspectorate requires space in which to consider and reach its decisions and operate its complaints procedures. We consider that routine disclosure of information regarding the quality assurance of particular cases would have a negative effect on the candour of future investigative discussions. Taking these factors into account, the wider public interest in protecting the quality assurance process is considered to exceed the factors in favour of disclosure.

Should you remain dissatisfied with the Inspectorate’s response to your request then you may wish to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office for their review. Further information is available on their website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici....

I have also attached a copy of our Information Request Review Procedures.

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gray
Customer Team Officer
The Planning Inspectorate

 : https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati...
/ : [email address]
: 0303 444 5884
Twitter : @PINSgov
Web : www.gov.uk/government/organisations/plan...

This communication does not constitute legal advice. Please view our Personal Information Charter before sending information to the Planning Inspectorate.

show quoted sections