Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

DEAR Stephen Whiteside

Freedom of information request - FOI/6705

Subject: Valo Smart City - Replacement bus shelters + freestanding adverts

We are just emailing you to update you on your open Information Request.
We are currently in the process of updating our systems and part of this
update will mean that your open Information Request has been assigned a
new reference: FOI/6705

Thank you in advanced for your patients patience and whilst we will
continue top process your request. We will issue a response or update to
you as soon as we are able.

Unfortunately, the Council is currently experiencing a delay in our
response times due to demand and resource. As an organisation we are aware
of our legal duties under the legislation and are making every effort to
improve our position and respond to requests within our statutory
timeframes as quickly as possible. All requests are being monitored and
continually reviewed to provide you with an expected date for disclosure.
London Borough of Croydon takes its role as a Data Controller seriously
and would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding
whilst we improve our service to you.

 
Kind Regard

Information Management Team

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

Dear Mr Stephen Whiteside

Request FOI/6705

Environmental Information Regulations 2004

Your request has been considered under the provisions of the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004. Please accept our apologies for the delay in
responding to you. Specifically, you have requested the following
information:

This information request is based on the content of the Officer Report
(OR) regarding 20/05696/PRE, as considered by the Planning Committee on 25
March 2021.

Prototype production and testing

The OR (5.2) states that feedback from a Place Review Panel in February
2021 had included that " ...prototyping is extremely important. A number
of stakeholders will need to feedback on the design ...".

The OR (6.44) also states "The Applicant will produce a prototype which
different groups can feedback on. User testing for various site types will
be critical to refining the design of the bus shelters  ... they will need
to ensure issues raised during testing are designed out given the
significance of the assets in the public realm across the borough.

1. Please provide copies of any information regarding the production of
the prototype(s), the different groups that took part in any user testing
(including dates) and the issues that were raised.

Design Code

The Report (6.16) states "The applicant has been developing a design code
for the project ... to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for
assessment".

It is for the applicant to decide whether or not the suggestion made to
them by the place review panel to undertake prototyping is carried out. In
this case, information on whether this took place or not was not submitted
to the Council. The Council assessed each of the applications for
advertisement consent on their own merits and in the context of each of
the sites. There is no statutory requirement for prototyping to take
place. The comments provided by the place review panel were given in the
context of advice to the applicant in developing their design.

2. Please provide a copy of the finalised (or latest, dated version) of
this 'design code' and of the Authority's assessment.

Final Design(s)

The OR (3.5) states "The sites are in areas of varying character,
including sites in both urban, suburban and town centre locations ... in a
mix of commercial and residential locations" and at that (4.10) " a
modular approach is proposed to allow the design to adapt to the specifics
of each individual location".

The OR (3.3) states that applications for the required advertisement
consent for each of the 158 sites would be submitted FOLLOWING agreement
on the final designs of shelters etc.  Submission of those applications
began (at least) as far back as February 2022 (22/00472/ADV)

A specific design code was not submitted by the applicant. It is not a
statutory requirement for this type of application. However, design and
appearance information was submitted as part of the advert applications
that were submitted and this information is publicly available on the
Council’s Public Access Planning Register, accessed on the Council’s
website. The Local Planning Authority’s assessment of design and
appearance for each of the applications received is contained within the
officer’s report for each of the applications, which is also publicly
available information.

3. Please provide copies of any information regarding the final designs,
and confirm who it was who agreed those 'adaptable' designs on behalf of
the Council, and the date(s) on which any formal agreement was reached.

The assessment of the designs was undertaken as part of the applications
submitted – there was no formal agreement of the designs. Information was
provided at pre-application stage and advice was provided. Whilst the
officer’s pre-application report referred to getting agreement of final
designs there is no statutory requirement to do so and the applications
were determined on their merits. Indeed there is no statutory requirement
for any applicant to undertake pre-application discussions with the Local
Planning Authority, although we do encourage them to do so as the
discussions assist in identifying any issues at an early stage.

The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)

To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:

[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)

If you are dissatisfied with the way the council has handled your request
under the Environmental Information Regulations you may ask for an
internal review.  This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of
this response.  You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint
by:

Email:        [2][Croydon Borough Council request email]

Writing:     Information Team

London Borough of Croydon

Bernard Weatherill House

7^th Floor - Zone B

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely 

Croydon Council

References

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1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
2. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]