Information Commissioner's Office

Pembrokeshire County Council

12 November 2015, Local government (County council)

The complainant has requested various items of information in relation to highways, access and other material planning matters concerning the development of new housing on a specified area of land in Newport, Pembrokeshire. The complainant expressed a preference to receive the information electronically. Pembrokeshire County Council (‘the Council’) informed the complainant that the information was available for public viewing at County Hall and cited section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ('the FOIA') on the basis that it was not required to provide information already in the public domain. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council should have considered this request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (‘the EIR’), however, it has complied with its obligations under regulations 5 and 6 of the EIR. The Commissioner does not require the Council to take any steps.

EIR 5(1): Not upheld EIR 6(1): Not upheld