The Elephant & Castle Interchange Surface Feasibility Study

The request was successful.

Dear Transport for London,
Please can you provide the a copy of the Elephant & Castle Interchange Surface Feasibility Study which Boris Johnson referred to in his Mayoral answer to the question from Val Shawcross 1858/2011, referred to here:
http://mqt.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/ques...

Yours faithfully,

Luke Miller
For Elephant Amenity Network

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Mr Miller

TfL Ref: FOI-0460-1112

Thank you for your e-mail received by Transport for London (TfL) on 12
July 2011 asking for a copy of the Elephant and Castle Interchange Surface
Feasibility Study.

Your request will be processed in accordance with the requirements of the
Environmental Information Regulations and TfL's information access
policy.

A response will be provided to you by 11 August 2011.

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

Corporate Governance Directorate

General Counsel

Transport for London

[1][TfL request email]

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FOI, Transport for London

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Miller

TfL Ref: FOI-0460-1112

Thank you for your e-mail received by Transport for London (TfL) on 12
July 2011 asking for a copy of the Elephant and Castle Interchange Surface
Feasibility Study.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of
the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and TfL's information
access policy. I can confirm TfL does hold the information you require.

However, in accordance with the EIR, TfL is not obliged to supply any of
the information you have requested as it is subject to a statutory
exception to the right of access to information under Regulation 12(4)(d).

In this instance the exception has been applied as the information you
have requested is incomplete. The further design optioneering, modelling
and testing of the northern roundabout and Northern Line ticket hall
design options should be completed by late autumn to inform the Lend Lease
planning application scheduled for submission in early 2012.

The use of this exception is subject to an assessment of the public
interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. TfL
recognises the need for openness and transparency by public authorities,
but in this instance we believe the balance lies in favour of withholding
the data requested at this time. The TfL feasibility study, completed in
April 2010, provided an emerging design concept for the Elephant & Castle
Opportunity Area based on an understanding of the trip impacts from the
Heygate and shopping centre redevelopment schemes in early 2009. The
concept was only in draft status at this time and the developer's
Masterplan designs for the Core Area of Opportunity have now further
evolved, with the forecast trip impacts now having been revised down and a
number of the assumptions included in the feasibility study modelling no
longer valid. This has required review of the feasibility study
conclusions which need to be assessed again using a more certain
understanding of the Southwark Opportunity Area trip impacts, particularly
the Heygate redevelopment, with revised assumptions applied.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to
appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

Corporate Governance Directorate

General Counsel

Transport for London

[1][TfL request email]

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Dear Transport for London,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Transport for London's handling of my FOI request 'The Elephant & Castle Interchange Surface Feasibility Study'.

My request was refused on the basis that although the study requested is complete, further work is ongoing and that further information in the public domain must await a planning application in 2012.

I do not think this is a valid reason for refusal - Boris Johnson, in his response to a request by Valerie Shawcross published 20th June 2011, makes explicit reference to this study and although refers to ongoing review of options, it is clear that the analysis presented in this study remains the most current analysis available. He states the requested document sets out to "identify a surface transport design concept to guide Southwark Council and their development partners as part of their masterplan design". [quote from the Mayor's answer]

Given this position, it cannot be right to refuse access to a document that sets out concepts - even if detail is still be worked out, the conceptual position is clearly a matter of public interest prior to the details being finalised.

I ask therefore for my request to be reconsidered.

Regards

Luke Miller

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

Yours faithfully,

Luke Miller

Sloane Peter, Transport for London

Dear Mr Miller

Request for internal review

Our reference IRV-037-1112

Thank you for your request for an internal review which was received by
Transport for London (TfL) on 15 August 2011.

You have stated that you are dissatisfied with the handling of your
request for information under the Freedom of Information Act

The review will be conducted by an internal review panel in accordance
with TfL's Internal Review Procedure, which is available via the following
URL:

[1]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/f...

Every effort will be made to provide you with a response by 12 September
2011. However, if the review will not be completed by this date, we will
contact you and notify you of the revised response date as soon as
possible.

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
do not hesitate to contact me on the number given below.

Peter Sloane

Senior Information Governance Adviser
Information Access & Compliance Team | General Counsel | Transport for
London
5th Floor, Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL
T: 020 7126 4912 auto 64912
F: 020 7126 3185
E: [2][email address]

TfL has recently adopted an `information security classification scheme'
to help protect its information assets. If you work for TfL or one of its
subsidiaries and want to find out how this affects you, see the new
[3]Quick Guide or visit [4]Source for more information.

Senior Information Governance Adviser
Information Access & Compliance Team | General Counsel | Transport for
London
5th Floor, Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL
T: 020 7126 4912 auto 64912
F: 020 7126 3185
E: [email address]

TfL has recently adopted an `information security classification scheme'
to help protect its information assets. If you work for TfL or one of its
subsidiaries and want to find out how this affects you, see the new
[5]Quick Guide or visit [6]Source for more information.

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References

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6. http://source.tfl/OurCompany/Governance/...

Sloane Peter, Transport for London

Dear Mr Miller

 

I am writing to you regarding your request for internal review.
Unfortunately it has not proved possible to provide you with a response by
the date originally suggested. I can confirm that we are seeking further
information from the business area concerning how they feel the
requirements of the exception are met with regard to your request.

 

We will provide you with a substantive response as soon as possible and
are aiming to do so by 30 September and will advise you if there are any
further problems. I am sorry about this delay and thank you for the
patience you have shown so far.

 

Yours sincerely

Peter Sloane

 

 

Senior Information Governance Adviser
Information Access & Compliance Team | General Counsel | Transport for
London
5th Floor, Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL
T: 020 7126 4912 auto 64912
F: 020 7126 3185
E: [email address]

 

TfL has recently adopted an ‘information security classification scheme’
to help protect its information assets. If you work for TfL or one of its
subsidiaries and want to find out how this affects you, see the new
[1]Quick Guide or visit [2]Source for more information.

 

show quoted sections

 

References

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1. http://source.tfl/pdfs/IA_QG1_Informatio...
2. http://source.tfl/OurCompany/Governance/...

Dear Mr Sloane,

You kindly wrote to me on the 20th September about a FoI appeal request (IRV 037 1112) apologising for the delay and stating I would receive a response by 30th September. I have not heard back and am writing this on 9th October.

I would appreciate an update on my appeal.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am requesting a document, the Elephant and Castle Interchange Surface Feasibility Study, which was referred to by the Mayor this summer. He described the study as "complete" and stated that the "objective of the study was to identify a surface transport design concept to guide Southwark Council and their development partners as part of their masterplan design"

As this masterplan is nearing completion, there can be no conceivable argument that this report, "guiding" a public authority in their planning, and which is "complete", should not be made public other than embarrassment. This is not a valid FoI reason for refusal.

I greatly appreciate your help in making these points clearly to the public officers at TfL, who should be accountable for their actions, and resolving this issue. I look forward to hearing positive news from this appeal shortly - and would be glad for an update as soon as possible.

Regards

Luke Miller
07881 914728

PS For completeness, the Mayor said (in his response to a mayoral question from Valerie Shawcross

"Last year TfL completed the Elephant & Castle Interchange Surface Feasibility Study. The objective of the study was to identify a surface transport design concept to guide Southwark Council and their development partners as part of their masterplan design.
Following on from this, TfL is now exploring a number of different options for improving the roundabout to support the council's wider vision for the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle. "

Sloane Peter, Transport for London

Dear Mr Miller

 

I am contacting you following our phone conversation to confirm the
outcome of the internal review of your request for information. I
apologise for the delay in providing you with this response.

 

You requested a copy of the Elephant and Castle Interchange Surface
Feasibility Study referred to by the Mayor. Your request was handled under
the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

 

TfL has re-considered your request and is withdrawing its reliance on the
exception contained in regulation 12(4)(d)  to withhold the study.
Therefore, we are in the processing of collating the relevant information
to provide to you and consulting with our stakeholders.

 

We would like to emphasise that the study and supporting information are
based on the information that was available at the time the study was
compiled and particularly the masterplan submitted by Lend Lease, as it
existed then. The study was concluded as far as was possible at the time
(Summer 2009), given that development plans were still under debate and a
final plan for the development had not yet been submitted. It was
recognised that study would need to take account of information that was
still emergent and that therefore further work on transport options should
wait until a final masterplan was agreed. The underlying development
proposal, in connection with which this study was prepared, has been
downsized since the original study was closed. The study, in the form that
TfL holds it, has therefore been superseded to an extent by changes in the
plans for the Elephant & Castle redevelopment, and should not be relied on
with regard to the transport options that would be associated with the
final planning application (currently due to be submitted in Spring 2012).

 

As I mentioned, the study is supported by a large amount of technical
notes, around 150, some of which are directly referred to within it. Since
these notes are necessary in order to be able to fully understand the
study, we have determined that these notes should also be released at the
same time. Thank you for providing me with the address to which you would
like this information to be sent.

 

If you have any concerns or queries about this, please contact me.

Yours sincerely

 

Peter Sloane

 

Senior Information Governance Adviser
Information Access & Compliance Team | General Counsel | Transport for
London
5th Floor, Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL
T: 020 7126 4912 auto 64912
F: 020 7126 3185
E: [email address]

 

TfL has recently adopted an ‘information security classification scheme’
to help protect its information assets. If you work for TfL or one of its
subsidiaries and want to find out how this affects you, see the new
[1]Quick Guide or visit [2]Source for more information.

 

show quoted sections

 

References

Visible links
1. http://source.tfl/pdfs/IA_QG1_Informatio...
2. http://source.tfl/OurCompany/Governance/...