​Re: FOI202402001595​​

Dear Sir / Madam

This is a courtesy email to let you know your request for information has
been received on 02/02/2024. 

The Council aims to respond to all requests within 20 working days, in
this instance by 01/03/2024

Your unique reference number is FOI202402001595. Please keep this number
safe and please use it in any correspondence with ourselves.

Kind regards

Information Governance
Law & Governance
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY
Contact details:
Kevin Taylor, Access to Information Officer - 01733 452576
Tazeem Akhtar, Access to Information Officer - 01733 207138
Sadaf Abdullah, Access to Records Officer - 01733 864668

Tracey Wright, Information Manager - 01733 452533

Ben Stevenson, Head of Information Governance/Data Protection Officer on
01733 452387 (non-working day Wed)

Emma Doran, Business Support Officer - 01733 453571

Email: [Peterborough City Council request email]
To find out more about Peterborough City Council please go to
www.peterborough.gov.uk.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Conditions apply to the confidentiality, copyright, legal liability and
use of this email.For full information relating to the transmission and
use of this email please visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/emaildisclaimer

Freedom of Information Act response – ref FOI-202402001595

Dear Julian King, 

Your request for information, reference number FOI-202402001595,  has now
been considered and the information requested is given below.
 
Request and Response
Contracted security officers acting as city centre enforcement as part of
their role was to stop cyclists as part of the PSPO in September and
October 2022. The uniforms worn were black clothing with a 'Security'
patch on the back of the uniform. There was also low light due to the time
of year and also the officers working until 10pm. There was a near miss
where an officer could have been seriously injured and this was reported
to Carter security with a request for yellow high visibilty vests to be
provided.

Please provide a copy of any risk assessment for officers to carry out
this role including any relevant training and protective clothing to carry
out the role of stopping cyclists. Why were no high visibility vests
issued?. 

CSS Ltd were responsible for providing uniform for undertaking the role
city centre enforcement officers during the 6-month contract.  Bridge
Street is well lit, the cycle ban is only enforceable between the hours of
9am - 6pm.
 

show quoted sections

​​​Re: INT202402001595 - Request for Internal Review

Dear 

Thank you for your email dated *** , in which you have requested an
internal review of our response to your information request, our reference
INT202402001595. You have specifically stated:
Paste info from email here
A senior manager or legal advisor who was not involved in the original
request will now carry out an internal review. We aim to handle simple
internal reviews in 20 working days, in this case by $$ACTRequiredBy. We
aim to handle internal reviews that involve complex issues that require
further investigation and those that require consideration of the public
interest test, in 40 working days, which would be (insert date).

If you are dissatisfied with the internal review of our decision, or an
internal review was not available, you can seek an appeal from the
Information Commissioner by writing to:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone:  01625 545 700

[1]www.ico.org.uk

Kind regards

Information Governance
Law & Governance
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY
Contact details:
Kevin Taylor, Access to Information Officer - 01733 452576
Tazeem Akhtar, Access to Information Officer - 01733 207138
Sadaf Abdullah, Access to Records Officer - 01733 864668

Tracey Wright, Information Manager - 01733 452533

Ben Stevenson, Head of Information Governance/Data Protection Officer on
01733 452387 (non-working day Wed)

Emma Doran, Business Support Officer - 01733 453571

Email: [Peterborough City Council request email]
To find out more about Peterborough City Council please go to
www.peterborough.gov.uk.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
​

Conditions apply to the confidentiality, copyright, legal liability and
use of this email.For full information relating to the transmission and
use of this email please visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/emaildisclaimer

References

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1. http://www.ico.org.uk/

​​​Re: INT-202402001595 - Request for Internal Review

Dear Julian King, 

Thank you for your email dated 26/02/2024, in which you have requested an
internal review of our response to your information request, our reference
INT-202402001595. You have specifically stated:
 
 
 
A senior manager or legal advisor who was not involved in the original
request will now carry out an internal review. We aim to handle simple
internal reviews in 20 working days, in this case by 11/03/2024. We aim to
handle internal reviews that involve complex issues that require further
investigation and those that require consideration of the public interest
test, in 40 working days, which would be (insert date).
 
If you are dissatisfied with the internal review of our decision, or an
internal review was not available, you can seek an appeal from the
Information Commissioner by writing to:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone:  01625 545 700

[1]www.ico.org.uk

Kind regards

Information Governance
Law & Governance
 
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY
 
Contact details:
 
Kevin Taylor, Access to Information Officer - 01733 452576
Tazeem Akhtar, Access to Information Officer - 01733 207138
Sadaf Abdullah, Access to Records Officer - 01733 864668

Tracey Wright, Information Manager - 01733 452533

Ben Stevenson, Head of Information Governance/Data Protection Officer on
01733 452387 (non-working day Wed)

Emma Doran, Business Support Officer - 01733 453571

Email: [Peterborough City Council request email]
 
To find out more about Peterborough City Council please go to
www.peterborough.gov.uk.
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
​

Conditions apply to the confidentiality, copyright, legal liability and
use of this email.For full information relating to the transmission and
use of this email please visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/emaildisclaimer

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.org.uk/

​Freedom of Information Act Request FOI 202402001595 Internal Review

Dear Julian King,

You have requested (your email of 26 February 2024) an internal review. 
Your concern was regarding the following:-

I am writing to request an internal review of Peterborough City Council's
handling of my FOI request 'Health and Safety -City Centre Enforcement
Officers stopping pedal cycles (PSPO)'.

You haven't responded to the following parts of the request:

1. Please provide a copy of any risk assessment for officers to carry
out this role

2. including any relevant training and 

3. Why were no high visibility vests issued?

I think it is important to mention that your comments about Bridge Street
are not relevant and indicate a lack of awareness of Health and Safety and
risk assessments.

I can confirm that the council’s legal department has carried out an
internal review. As part of that review the legal department has seen all
the correspondence relating to your information request and considered the
applicable legislation before providing advice in this matter.

This letter forms the council’s formal response to your request for a
review.  For ease of reference, the details of the initial request for
information and the council’s response are set out below. I will then
confirm the findings of my review.

The initial request

In your email of February 1, 2024 you asked for the following information:

Original Request & Response 

Contracted security officers acting as city centre enforcement as part of
their role was to stop cyclists as part of the PSPO in September and
October 2022. The uniforms worn were black clothing with a 'Security'
patch on the back of the uniform. There was also low light due to the time
of year and also the officers working until 10pm. There was a near miss
where an officer could have been seriously injured and this was reported
to Carter security with a request for yellow high visibility vests to be
provided.

Please provide a copy of any risk assessment for officers to carry out
this role including any relevant training and protective clothing to carry
out the role of stopping cyclists. Why were no high visibility vests
issued?

CSS Ltd were responsible for providing uniform for undertaking the role
city centre enforcement officers during the 6-month contract.  Bridge
Street is well lit, the cycle ban is only enforceable between the hours of
9am - 6pm.

Your request for an internal review

Your request for an internal review was on the criteria stated previously
above:        

Internal review response

I have been asked to review the above FOI request and response provided,
as set out above.

In carrying out my review, I have contacted Senior Managers from the Safer
Communities Service (within which the Enforcement Team fall) and have
asked for further information relating to the particular contract
arrangements referred to within the request.

During the period referred to between September and October 2022, this
service was being undertaken under a short-term contract by CSS Ltd. 
Therefore, the uniforms worn by the enforcement officers/Marshalls were
provided by CSS Ltd as part of the arrangement.  The officers/Marshalls
were working in accordance with the PSPO in place within the city centre,
which is well lit, and they were wearing the Uniforms supplied by the
Providers.  The Provider was responsible for the recruitment and
supervision of the Enforcement Officers/Marshalls and ensured that they
held valid and appropriate SIA licences, and that the Officers/ Marshalls
were suitable and capable to undertake the Service. CSS Ltd were also
required to undertake a risk assessment for their staff, which they
themselves hold.

Subsequently, the Council has employed an in-house team of enforcement
officers who carry out the service.  When the service came back in house,
the council conducted their own risk assessment for patrol officers.  The
in-house team uniform contains reflective strips on uniforms, and a vest
is worn as a top later which has reflective strips.

What happens now

I trust that this adequately answers your queries, and I now consider this
matter to be concluded.  However, if you are dissatisfied with this
decision you may request the Information Commissioner to investigate.  The
contact details are:-

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 700

[1]www.ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Michelle Abbott

Peterborough City Council

Information Governance

Law & Governance

Peterborough City Council

Sand Martin House

Bittern Way

Fletton Quays

Peterborough

PE2 8TY

Contact details:

Kevin Taylor, Access to Information Officer - 01733 452576

Tazeem Akhtar, Access to Information Officer - 01733 207138

Sadaf Abdullah, Access to Records Officer - 01733 864668

Tracey Wright, Information Manager - 01733 452533

Ben Stevenson, Head of Information Governance/Data Protection Officer on
01733 452387 (non-working day Wed)

Emma Doran, Business Support Officer - 01733 453571

Email: [2][Peterborough City Council request email]

To find out more about Peterborough City Council please go to
[3]www.peterborough.gov.uk .

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

Conditions apply to the confidentiality, copyright, legal liability and
use of this email.For full information relating to the transmission and
use of this email please visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/emaildisclaimer

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.org.uk/
2. mailto:[Peterborough City Council request email]
3. http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/