Information about the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment between 2005 and 2017

The request was partially successful.

Dear City of Edinburgh Council,

I would like to request any information you may hold relating to the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment between 2005 and 2017. This includes:

- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Also if there are minutes or notes of meetings, correspondence or reports relating to decisions on the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment, I should like to request these.

For the avoidance of doubt, this request refers to the junction of York Place, Broughton Street, Leith Street, Cathedral Lane, Little King Street, Picardy Place and Leith Walk.

If you do not hold the exact information I have requested above, I would like to request any similar or related information that you do hold, insofar as this is feasible and possible under the relevant legislation.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Byrne

City of Edinburgh Council

Mr Chris Byrne

Date: 02/10/2017

Our ref: 16381

Dear Mr Byrne

Acknowledgement of Request

Subject: Picardy Place redevelopment

Thank you for your request for information of 02/10/2017 which was received on 02/10/2017. In your request you asked for the following;

I would like to request any information you may hold relating to the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment between 2005 and 2017. This includes:

- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Also if there are minutes or notes of meetings, correspondence or reports relating to decisions on the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment, I should like to request these.

For the avoidance of doubt, this request refers to the junction of York Place, Broughton Street, Leith Street, Cathedral Lane, Little King Street, Picardy Place and Leith Walk.

If you do not hold the exact information I have requested above, I would like to request any similar or related information that you do hold, insofar as this is feasible and possible under the relevant legislation.

I can confirm that your request will be processed under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, Environmental Information Regulations (Scotland) 2004, or the INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009.

You will receive the information requested within 20 working days unless the Council does not hold the information, or there is a reason for it to be withheld. We will write to you in any event.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case we will let you know.

If you have any requirements regarding the format any information should be supplied in, e.g. the language to be used, audio, large print and so on, then please let me know.

If you have any queries or concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.

To promote transparency and accountability, please note it is the Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of information legislation. This information will be made available through the Council’s website and will not include your personal details. The disclosure log is available at the following link: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/175....

Further information about your rights and accessing information is available on our website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

City of Edinburgh Council

Mr Chris Byrne

[FOI #435026 email]

Our ref: 16381

Dear Mr Byrne

Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations - Manifestly Unreasonable

Subject: Picardy Place redevelopment

Thank you for your request for information of 02/10/2017 where you asked the following:

I would like to request any information you may hold relating to the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment between 2005 and 2017. This includes:

- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Also if there are minutes or notes of meetings, correspondence or reports relating to decisions on the process of developing transport models and forecasts for the Picardy Place redevelopment, I should like to request these.

For the avoidance of doubt, this request refers to the junction of York Place, Broughton Street, Leith Street, Cathedral Lane, Little King Street, Picardy Place and Leith Walk.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with the information you requested as the time and expense involved in complying with this request would be regarded as excessive by any reasonable person. Your request falls into the category of a “manifestly unreasonable” request under regulation 10(4)(b) of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

There is no definition of "manifestly unreasonable" in the EIRs, or in Directive 2003/4/EC from which they are derived. Rather, it is to be judged on each individual request, bearing in mind all of the circumstances of the case as to whether a request may be regarded as “manifestly unreasonable”.

Factors that may be taken into consideration before concluding that environmental information can be withheld under regulation 10(4)(b) include whether complying with the request would cause a disproportionate burden in terms of the workload involved and also taking into consideration the size and resources of the public authority.

We hold information as requested in part, but not necessarily complete modelling / design data broken down by exact mode of transport. Some data may be held by multiple teams, e.g. public transport, active travel team, tram team, etc.

It has been assessed that there at least 100 files which would need to be reviewed.

The information is held by multiple teams and spans across a 12 year period. There are four teams which would hold information and it is estimated that it would take one officer from each team approximately four days to provide the information you requested and this process would take 112 hours to complete. Providing the information could only be done by diverting a disproportionate quantity of the Council's resources away from other essential core operations, with a significant negative impact on the Council's ability to carry out its functions.

I have applied the public interest test to your request and I consider that this diversion of staff time would result in public resources that are required to be utilised for the benefit of all citizens in Edinburgh being diverted disproportionately to respond to the specific concerns of a single applicant. Therefore, in the circumstances, the public interest in making the information available is outweighed by that in maintaining the exception. This request is consequently a “manifestly unreasonable” request under regulation 10(4)(b) of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Please note that this letter constitutes a formal refusal notice under regulation 13 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

The refusal is primarily due to the long date range, this takes in multiple projects and different designs that have been worked on over the years through multiple re-designs worked on under the tram project. You may wish to submit a simpler request on modelling etc. behind the current design which would be far easier to retrieve.

The Council appreciates that you may not have been aware of the size and scope of the information that you requested the Council provide you with as a result of your request. It may be possible to provide you with a portion of the information that you are seeking. If you wish to discuss this option further, or have any other queries, do not hesitate to contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Please note that revised requests are considered as new requests under the legislation.

Information relating to this development is in the public domain and is available at the following links:

Planning and Building Standards: https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/...
Council Papers on line: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cpol

To promote transparency and accountability, please note it is the Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of information legislation. This information will be made available through the Council’s website and will not include your personal details. The disclosure log is available at the following link: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/175...

Your right to seek a review

If you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with your request, you can ask us to review our actions and decisions by writing to the:

Head of Strategy & Insight
The City of Edinburgh Council,
Waverley Court Business Centre 2:1,
4, East Market Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8BG or:
Email: [email address]

Please note that your request must be in a recordable format (email, letter, audio tape etc.), and that you have 40 working days upon receipt of this letter to ask for a review. You will receive a full response to your review request within 20 working days of its receipt. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you can ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to review our decision. You must submit your complaint to the Commissioner within 6 months of receiving our review response. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
Website: www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal
Email: [email address]

Yours sincerely,

Sue Brown
Information Rights Officer

Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Dear Sue Brown,

First of all thank you for responding promptly to the request.

I must admit this is probably the only time I have been accused of being "manifestly unreasonable" though it's possible other related terms have been used to describe me over the years!

Given your response I fully appreciate that the wide ranging nature of ny request has meant it is too costly and time consuming a task. In the circumstances, if I may I should like to take up your offer of responding to a more limited request for a portion of the material requested.

I therefore ask for the request to be reconsidered, but to be limited to the following parameters:

Dates: August 2005 to July 2009

Information requested:
- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Please note, if you only hold part of the information requested, I would prefer to receive that than nothing at all. In particular, if information is not broken down precisely by modal share as I have outlined above, then I am happy to receive it in whatever way it is currently broken down, rather than require officers to create new analyses just for this request, which even to myself seems a tad unreasonable.

I hope that this more limited request may prove feasible as a task.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Byrne

Dear City of Edinburgh Council,

(Sent again as the system seems unsure what to do with my reply?)

Dear Sue Brown,

First of all thank you for responding promptly to the request.

I must admit this is probably the only time I have been accused of being "manifestly unreasonable" though it's possible other related terms have been used to describe me over the years!

Given your response I fully appreciate that the wide ranging nature of ny request has meant it is too costly and time consuming a task. In the circumstances, if I may I should like to take up your offer of responding to a more limited request for a portion of the material requested.

I therefore ask for the request to be reconsidered, but to be limited to the following parameters:

Dates: August 2005 to July 2009

Information requested:
- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Please note, if you only hold part of the information requested, I would prefer to receive that than nothing at all. In particular, if information is not broken down precisely by modal share as I have outlined above, then I am happy to receive it in whatever way it is currently broken down, rather than require officers to create new analyses just for this request, which even to myself seems a tad unreasonable.

I hope that this more limited request may prove feasible as a task.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Byrne

City of Edinburgh Council

Mr Chris Byrne

Date: 12/10/2017

Our ref: 16525

Dear Mr Byrne

Acknowledgement of Request

Subject: Picardy Place redevelopment

Thank you for your request for information received on 12/10/2017. I can confirm that your request will be processed under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, Environmental Information Regulations (Scotland) 2004, or the INSPIRE (Scotland) Regulations 2009.

You will receive the information requested within 20 working days unless the Council does not hold the information, or there is a reason for it to be withheld. We will write to you in any event. This means we have until 09/11/2017 to respond to your request.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case we will let you know.

If you have any requirements regarding the format any information should be supplied in, e.g. the language to be used, audio, large print and so on, then please let me know.

If you have any queries or concerns, do not hesitate to get in touch. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.

To promote transparency and accountability, please note it is the Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under the freedom of information legislation. This information will be made available through the Council’s website and will not include your personal details. The disclosure log is available at the following link: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/175....

Further information about your rights and accessing information is available on our website at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Dear City of Edinburgh Council,

Your ref: 16525
and 16381

Please note I wish the two references under which this request is dealt with to be linked, as my request is effectively to reduce the complexity and size of the prior request.

I have been corresponding with Sue Brown in regard to this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Byrne

City of Edinburgh Council

Mr Chris Byrne

[FOI #435026 email]

Date: 17/11/2017

Our ref: 16525

Dear Mr Byrne

Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Subject: Picardy Place redevelopment

Thank you for your request for information of 12/10/2017 where you asked for:

Dates: August 2005 to July 2009

Information requested:
- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon
- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons made between different layouts.

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might be.

Please note, if you only hold part of the information requested, I would prefer to receive that than nothing at all. In particular, if information is not broken down precisely by modal share as I have outlined above, then I am happy to receive it in whatever way it is currently broken down, rather than require officers to create new analyses just for this request, which even to myself seems a tad unreasonable.

Your request is currently being processed but I am afraid that we will be unable to provide a full response within 20 working days due to the complexity of the request. As you can appreciate, over this period the staffing has changed substantially and it has therefore taken far longer to source the information you have requested than originally thought. The Council intends to send a response out to you by 24/11/2017.

Your right to seek a review

If you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with your request, you can ask us to review our actions and decisions by writing to:

Head of Strategy & Insight
The City of Edinburgh Council
Waverley Court Business Centre 2:1
4, East Market Street
Edinburgh
EH8 8BG or,
Email: [email address]

Please note that your request must be in a recordable format (email, letter, audio tape etc.), and that you have 40 working days upon receipt of this letter to ask for a review. You will receive a full response to your review request within 20 working days of its receipt. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you can ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to review our decision. You must submit your complaint to the Commissioner within 6 months of receiving our review response. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
Website www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal
E-mail: [email address]

Yours sincerely,

Information Rights Officer

Information Governance Unit
Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340
[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

Dear City of Edinburgh Council,

Thank you for your notification of a slight delay.

I am happy to wait until 24th November, and fully appreciate this is a relatively complex request.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Byrne

Information Rights Officer 2, City of Edinburgh Council

1 Attachment

Mr Chris Byrne

 

[FOI #435026 email]

 

Our ref: 16525

 

Dear Mr Byrne

 

Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 - Release of
Information

 

Subject: Picardy Place redevelopment

 

Thank you for your request for information of 12/10/2017 where you asked
the following:

 

Dates: August 2005 to July 2009

 

Information requested:

- motor vehicle modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

- public transport modelling data and assumptions the models were based
upon

- pedestrian footfall modelling data and assumptions the models were based
upon

- cycling modelling data and assumptions the models were based upon

 

In relation to the above I would also like to know whether different
possible junction layouts were modelled, plus details of any comparisons
made between different layouts.

 

It would also be helpful to know if any forecasts were made for increased
or decreased modal share for different transport modes using Picardy Place
junction, and what the underlying assumptions for any such forecasts might
be.

 

Please note, if you only hold part of the information requested, I would
prefer to receive that than nothing at all. In particular, if information
is not broken down precisely by modal share as I have outlined above, then
I am happy to receive it in whatever way it is currently broken down,
rather than require officers to create new analyses just for this request,
which even to myself seems a tad unreasonable.

 

Your request has been processed and considered under the Environmental
Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs). Thank you for your
patience while we sourced the information we hold and which is now
attached.

 

To promote transparency and accountability, please note it is the
Council’s policy to publish all request details and responses made under
the freedom of information legislation. This information will be made
available through the Council’s website and will not include your personal
details. The disclosure log is available at the following link:
[1]http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/175....

 

Your right to seek a review

 

If you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with your request, you can
ask us to review our actions and decisions by writing to the:

 

Head of Strategy & Insight 

The City of Edinburgh Council,

Waverley Court Business Centre 2:1,

4, East Market Street,

Edinburgh,

EH8 8BG or:

Email: [email address]

 

Please note that your request must be in a recordable format (email,
letter, audio tape etc.), and that you have 40 working days upon receipt
of this letter to ask for a review. You will receive a full response to
your review request within 20 working days of its receipt. Please remember
to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you can ask the
Scottish Information Commissioner to review our decision. You must submit
your complaint to the Commissioner within 6 months of receiving our review
response. The Commissioner can be contacted at:

 

The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St Andrews

Fife

KY16 9DS

Telephone: 01334 464610

Fax: 01334 464611

Website: www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

Email: [email address]

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Sue Brown

Information Rights Officer

 

 

 

 

Information Governance Unit

Level 2:1, Waverley Court, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Tel 0131 200 2340

[Edinburgh City Council request email] www.edinburgh.gov.uk

 

 

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1. http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homepage/175...