Ricardo Energy and Environment - air quality report

The request was partially successful.

Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

I am interested in air quality issues in south oxfordshire. This is a request under the FOIA and EIR for information you might hold concerning Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited.

SODC procured services from Ricardo to inform a low emission strategy for south oxfordshire, published in December 2015.

I should be grateful for copies of information you hold in your records concerning Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited in the period 1 August 2015 and 1 March 2016.

I should remind you that, should you seek to redact any elements of your response citing S43 (commercial interests) or similar that such redaction should be accompanied by a fully explained public interest test. A handy primer on S43 can be found here http://foiwiki.com/foiwiki/index.php/FOI...

There is exceptionally strong public interest in the air quality issues and Ricardo's report published in December 2015 drew strong comment from the local Member of Parliament and local district councillors and the local press.

If any clarification would assist you in answering my request them please don't hesitate to contact me through this service.

Yours faithfully,

William Perrin

FOI South, South Oxfordshire District Council

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request which was received by
the South Oxfordshire District Council on 12 August 2016

Please accept this email as confirmation that your request has been
received and forwarded to the relevant department and that a response will
be sent to you within 20 working days. The deadline for this will be:  12
September 2016

 

The reference number for this request is 16-371

I trust that this email is sufficient to assure you that your request is
being dealt with. However, should you have any queries in the meantime,
please do not hesitate to contact the FOI team at [South Oxfordshire District Council request email]
Regards
FOI Team
South Oxfordshire District Council

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

From: william perrin <[FOI #351385 email]>
Sent: 12 August 2016 12:32
To: FOI South
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Ricardo Energy and Environment -
air quality report
 
Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

I am interested in air quality  issues in south oxfordshire.  This is a
request under the FOIA and EIR for information you might hold concerning
Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited. 

SODC procured services from Ricardo to inform a low emission strategy for
south oxfordshire, published in December 2015.

I should be grateful for copies of information you hold in your records
concerning Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited in the period 1 August
2015 and 1 March 2016.

I should remind you that, should you seek to redact any elements of your
response citing S43 (commercial interests) or similar that such redaction
should be accompanied by a fully explained public interest test.  A handy
primer on S43 can be found here
[1]http://foiwiki.com/foiwiki/index.php/FOI...

[2]FOIA Section 43 Exemption - FOIwiki
foiwiki.com
Section 43: Commercial Interests. Section 43 exempts information whose
disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any
person.

There is exceptionally strong public interest in the air quality issues
and Ricardo's report published in December 2015 drew strong comment from
the local Member of Parliament and local district councillors and the
local press.

If any clarification would assist you in answering my request them please
don't hesitate to contact me through this service.

Yours faithfully,

William Perrin

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #351385 email]

Is [South Oxfordshire District Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to South Oxfordshire District Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

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.

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

References

Visible links
1. http://foiwiki.com/foiwiki/index.php/FOI...
2. http://foiwiki.com/foiwiki/index.php/FOI...
3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...
4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

Claire Spendley,

6 Attachments

Dear Mr Perrin,

 

Regarding your FOI request below, please find attached all the reports
relating to the ‘low emission strategy’ that has been provided to us by
Ricardo-AEA.

 

I trust this satisfies your request, if you have any questions in relation
to the reports please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Kind Regards

 

Claire Spendley

Environmental Health Officer

South Oxfordshire District Council

01235 422129

07801203515

 

 

Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

 

I am interested in air quality  issues in south oxfordshire.  This is a
request under the FOIA and EIR for information you might hold concerning
Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited. 

 

SODC procured services from Ricardo to inform a low emission strategy for
south oxfordshire, published in December 2015.

 

I should be grateful for copies of information you hold in your records
concerning Ricardo Energy and Environment Limited in the period 1 August
2015 and 1 March 2016.

 

I should remind you that, should you seek to redact any elements of your
response citing S43 (commercial interests) or similar that such redaction
should be accompanied by a fully explained public interest test.  A handy
primer on S43 can be found here
http://foiwiki.com/foiwiki/index.php/FOI...

 

There is exceptionally strong public interest in the air quality issues
and Ricardo's report published in December 2015 drew strong comment from
the local Member of Parliament and local district councillors and the
local press.

 

If any clarification would assist you in answering my request them please
don't hesitate to contact me through this service.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

William Perrin

Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of South Oxfordshire District Council's handling of my FOI/EIR request 'Ricardo Energy and Environment - air quality report'.

Thank you for your partial response to my request, I am most grateful. Given that SODC procured a service from Ricardo and discussed that report internally prior to publication and its reflection in policy and strategy for local communities you must hold substantially more information than you have chosen to disclose. The substantial development proposals being worked up for South Oxfordshire and concomitant increases in traffic bring environmental matters to the fore and greatly accentuate public interest in the information you hold. Many local communities are forming neighbourhood plans that could be influenced by the environmental information you hold that i requested

I should remind you that the environmental impact regulations, according to the ICO are in force to do the following:

'The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide public access to environmental information held by public authorities.

The Regulations do this in two ways:

public authorities must make environmental information available proactively;
members of the public are entitled to request environmental information from public authorities.
The Regulations cover any recorded information held by public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Environmental information held by Scottish public authorities is covered by the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.'

For the avoidance of doubt, for the period and subject I requested I seek all information you might hold including but nor limited to - emails, documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings, agendas of meetings, diagrams, maps, drawings, pictures, photographs, data, spreadsheets, texts, environmental models, sensor readings etc

If you are able to fulfill this request in part or in phases then please do so in the spirit of the regulations/law (which oblige you to share proactively) rather than rejecting the whole request. If i can provide any information or clarification to help you fulfil your obligations in law then i should be happy to do so through the medium of this online service.

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

Yours faithfully,

william perrin

FOI South, South Oxfordshire District Council

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your Environmental Information Regulation request, which was
received by South Oxfordshire District Council on 13 October 2016.
Please accept this email as confirmation that your request has been
received and forwarded to the relevant department and that a response will
be sent to you within 20 working days.
The deadline for this will be 10 November 2016.
The reference number for this request is 16/516 South.
I trust that this email is sufficient to assure you that your request is
being dealt with. However, should you have an queries in the meantime,
please do not hesitate to contact the FOI team at [South Oxfordshire District Council request email]
Regards
FOI Team
 
Policy & Partnerships
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
 
Direct line: 01235 422371
[1]www.southoxon.gov.uk 

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

From: william perrin <[FOI #351385 email]>
Sent: 13 October 2016 13:13
To: FOI South
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Ricardo
Energy and Environment - air quality report
 
Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of South Oxfordshire District
Council's handling of my FOI/EIR request 'Ricardo Energy and Environment -
air quality report'.

Thank you for your partial response to my request, I am most grateful. 
Given that SODC procured a service from Ricardo and discussed that report
internally prior to publication and its reflection in policy and strategy
for local communities you must hold substantially more information than
you have chosen to disclose.  The substantial development  proposals being
worked up for  South Oxfordshire and concomitant increases in traffic
bring environmental matters to the fore and greatly accentuate public
interest in the information you hold.  Many local communities are forming
neighbourhood plans that could be influenced by the environmental
information you hold that i requested

I should remind you that the environmental impact regulations, according
to the ICO are in force to do the following:

'The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide public access to
environmental information held by public authorities.

The Regulations do this in two ways:

public authorities must make environmental information available
proactively;
members of the public are entitled to request environmental information
from public authorities.
The Regulations cover any recorded information held by public authorities
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Environmental information held by
Scottish public authorities is covered by the Environmental Information
(Scotland) Regulations 2004.'

For the avoidance of doubt, for the period and subject I requested I seek
all information you might hold including but nor limited to - emails,
documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings, agendas of meetings,
diagrams, maps, drawings, pictures, photographs, data, spreadsheets,
texts, environmental models, sensor readings etc

If you are able to fulfill this request in part or in phases then please
do so in the spirit of the regulations/law (which oblige you to share
proactively) rather than rejecting the whole request.    If i can provide
any information or clarification to help you fulfil your obligations in
law then i should be happy to do so through the medium of this online
service.

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

Yours faithfully,

william perrin

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #351385 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

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.

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

References

Visible links
1. http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/
2. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

FOI South, South Oxfordshire District Council

5 Attachments

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your request for an internal review.

I have looked into the history of the report commissioned from Ricardo.
 Much of the work on the report occurred earlier than the time period you
specified in your request.

However, there was a meeting of the council's Cabinet in November 2015 at
which the report was discussed and I am pleased to attach notes from that
meeting, along with correspondence between Claire Spendley and Ricardo
that did fall within the specified timeframe.

Kind regards.

Andrew Down

Head of HR, IT & Technical Services
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
Phone (internal) 2300, (external) 01235 422300
Email [email address]
[1]http://www.southoxon.gov.uk
[2]http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

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

From: william perrin <[FOI #351385 email]>
Sent: 13 October 2016 13:13
To: FOI South
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Ricardo
Energy and Environment - air quality report
 
Dear South Oxfordshire District Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of South Oxfordshire District
Council's handling of my FOI/EIR request 'Ricardo Energy and Environment -
air quality report'.

Thank you for your partial response to my request, I am most grateful. 
Given that SODC procured a service from Ricardo and discussed that report
internally prior to publication and its reflection in policy and strategy
for local communities you must hold substantially more information than
you have chosen to disclose.  The substantial development  proposals being
worked up for  South Oxfordshire and concomitant increases in traffic
bring environmental matters to the fore and greatly accentuate public
interest in the information you hold.  Many local communities are forming
neighbourhood plans that could be influenced by the environmental
information you hold that i requested

I should remind you that the environmental impact regulations, according
to the ICO are in force to do the following:

'The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide public access to
environmental information held by public authorities.

The Regulations do this in two ways:

public authorities must make environmental information available
proactively;
members of the public are entitled to request environmental information
from public authorities.
The Regulations cover any recorded information held by public authorities
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Environmental information held by
Scottish public authorities is covered by the Environmental Information
(Scotland) Regulations 2004.'

For the avoidance of doubt, for the period and subject I requested I seek
all information you might hold including but nor limited to - emails,
documents, correspondence, minutes of meetings, agendas of meetings,
diagrams, maps, drawings, pictures, photographs, data, spreadsheets,
texts, environmental models, sensor readings etc

If you are able to fulfill this request in part or in phases then please
do so in the spirit of the regulations/law (which oblige you to share
proactively) rather than rejecting the whole request.    If i can provide
any information or clarification to help you fulfil your obligations in
law then i should be happy to do so through the medium of this online
service.

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

Yours faithfully,

william perrin

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #351385 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[4]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...

For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
latest advice from the ICO:
[5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...

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.

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

References

Visible links
1. http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/
2. http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/
3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/offi...
5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-...