Trans Pennine Tunnel - Proposals for improving connectivity across the Southern Pennines

The request was refused by Transport for the North.

Dear Transport for the North,

Trans Pennine Tunnel
1) New Dual Carriageway between M1 Rotherham and A1 Doncaster
2) Upgrade of existing A628 and A628 to dual carriageway

With regards to the above proposals, as published on the plan on your website https://transportforthenorth.com/major-r..., I wish to enquire whether the proposals are still being investigated with a view to being progressed. And if so, when are they likely to be implemented.
Additionally, I would like to obtain a copy of the plan which shows the location of the new dual carriageway between the M1 Rotherham and A1 Doncaster.

Yours faithfully,

Natalie Muir

Rosemary Lyon, Transport for the North

7 Attachments

Dear Ms Muir,

 

I refer to your email of 28 February, when you made the following request
for information:-

 

Dear Transport for the North,

 

Trans Pennine Tunnel

1) New Dual Carriageway between M1 Rotherham and A1 Doncaster

2) Upgrade of existing A628 and A628 to dual carriageway

 

With regards to the above proposals, as published on the plan on your
website
[1]https://transportforthenorth.com/major-r..., I
wish to enquire whether the proposals are still being investigated with a
view to being progressed. And if so, when are they likely to be
implemented.

Additionally, I would like to obtain a copy of the plan which shows the
location of the new dual carriageway between the M1 Rotherham and A1
Doncaster.

 

Your query is being treated as a request for information under the
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

 

Regulation 2 (1)(c) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
(“EIR”)  provides that environmental information includes:-

 

“measures (including administrative measures), such as policies,
legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities
affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in (a)
and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those
elements;”

 

I am looking into what information Transport for the North holds relating
to your request and if so, whether it can be placed into the public domain
and need to make further enquiries. Regulation 7 of the EIR provides that
Transport for the North can extend the time for responding if it
reasonably believes that the complexity and volume of the information
requested means that it is impracticable either to comply with the request
within the earlier period or to make a decision to refuse to do so. I am
therefore writing to extend the 20 working day period to provide a
response until 14^th April 2022.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Rosemary Lyon |
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| Legal and Democratic Services Officer   |
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|E   [2][email address] |
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|T  0161 250 2740 |
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|Transport for the North  |
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|2nd Floor, 4 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN  |
|[3]www.transportforthenorth.com  |
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|[4][IMG] |
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|I work flexibly – so whilst it suits me to email outside normal | | |
|working hours, I do not expect a response outside your own.  | | |
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|We’re still working fully remotely in line with Government | | |
|Coronavirus guidance for office workers and the use of public | | |
|transport.   | | |
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|Stay Alert. Control the virus. Save Lives.  | | |
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References

Visible links
1. https://transportforthenorth.com/major-r...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.transportforthenorth.com/
4. https://transportforthenorth.com/ciht-tr...

Rosemary Lyon, Transport for the North

7 Attachments

Dear Ms Muir,

 

I refer to your email of 28 February, when you made the following request
for information:-

 

Dear Transport for the North,

 

Trans Pennine Tunnel

1) New Dual Carriageway between M1 Rotherham and A1 Doncaster

2) Upgrade of existing A628 and A628 to dual carriageway

 

With regards to the above proposals, as published on the plan on your
website
[1]https://transportforthenorth.com/major-r..., I
wish to enquire whether the proposals are still being investigated with a
view to being progressed. And if so, when are they likely to be
implemented.

Additionally, I would like to obtain a copy of the plan which shows the
location of the new dual carriageway between the M1 Rotherham and A1
Doncaster.

 

I wrote to you on 28  March 2022 extending the time period for response 
until 14 April

 

Your query is being treated as a request for information under the
Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

 

Regulation 2 (1)(c) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
(“EIR”)  provides that environmental information includes:-

 

“measures (including administrative measures), such as policies,
legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities
affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in (a)
and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those
elements;”

 

I consider that the exception contained in Regulation 12 (4)(d) of the EIR
applies to your request for information. Regulation 12 (4) (d) states that
a public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that-

(d) the request relates to material which is still in the course of
completion, to unfinished documents or to incomplete data.

 

I have had regard to the guidance issued by the Information Commissioner,
“Material in the course of completion, unfinished documents and incomplete
data (regulation 12 (4) (d)” 20160523 Version: 1.1 .

 

I consider that the information requested is material which is still in
the course of completion. I   refer to Paragraph 27 of the ICO Guidance
which makes reference to Regulation 14 (4) of the EIR, as follows:-

 

14 (4) If the exception in regulation 12(4)(d) is specified in the
refusal, the authority shall also specify, if known to the public
authority, the name of any other public authority preparing the
information and the estimated time in which the information will be
finished or completed.

The Department of Transport and National Highways (formerly Highways
England) are other public authorities concerned with preparing information
relating to improving connectivity across the Southern Pennines. You may
wish to consider making a request for information to these public bodies
directly. The estimated time in which the information will be finished or
completed is anticipated to be the end of June 2022

 

 

Public Interest Test

The above exception contained in Regulation  12(4) (d) is subject to the
public interest test

 

Factors in favour of disclosure

 

• Public interest in disclosure to promote transparency and
accountability of public authorities

Factors in favour of maintaining the exception

 

• Protecting the integrity of the process in respect of proposals
regarding improving connectivity across the Southern Pennines.

 

• Having regard to the timing of the request,  disclosure of information
regarding material in the course of completion would make it difficult
to bring the process to a conclusion. There is a public interest in
ensuring that public authorities are given a safe space to consider
issues, without concern that the public debate could be skewed by the
early release of information,
• Releasing information would have a detrimental effect on the on-going
process  if placed in the public domain at this point.

I am therefore refusing your request for information on the basis that the
exception contained in Regulation 12 (4) (d) of the EIR applies and that
the public interest in maintaining the exception outweighs the public
interest in disclosing the information. You have the right to make
representations in respect of this refusal of your request for
information, which should be addressed to Julie Openshaw, Head of Legal
Services ,[email address] .You also have the right
to complain to the Information Commissioner but would be expected to make
representations first. The address of the Information Commissioner’s
Office is:-

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel -0303 123 113

[2][2]https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Yours sincerely,

 

 

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Rosemary Lyon │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Legal and Democratic Services Officer   │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│   │
│ │
│  │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│E   [3][email address] │
│ │
│T  0161 250 2740 │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│Transport for the North  │
│ │
│2nd Floor, 4 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, M1 3BN  │
│[4]www.transportforthenorth.com  │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  │
│ │
│  │
│ │
│[5][IMG] │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┬─┬─┤
│  │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│I work flexibly – so whilst it suits me to email outside normal │ │ │
│working hours, I do not expect a response outside your own.  │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│  │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│We’re still working fully remotely in line with Government │ │ │
│Coronavirus guidance for office workers and the use of public │ │ │
│transport.   │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│   │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│Stay Alert. Control the virus. Save Lives.  │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│  │ │ │
│ │ │ │
│  │ │ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴─┴─┘

 

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References

Visible links
1. https://transportforthenorth.com/major-r...
2. https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.transportforthenorth.com/
5. https://transportforthenorth.com/ciht-tr...