Link for IOC full Decision notice pdf file: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) (Central government) [2025] UKICO 349051 (30 April 2025)
The complainant submitted a request for information relating to proposals mentioned in a joint statement addressing water scarcity in Greater Cambridge. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) refused to provide the information requested citing regulation 12(4)(b) (manifestly unreasonable) of the EIR. The Commissioner's decision is that the MHCLG was entitled to rely on regulation 12(4)(b) to withhold information in scope of the request and that the public interest favours maintaining the exception. However, the MHCLG breached regulation 14 of the EIR by failing to issue its refusal notice within 20 working days. The Commissioner does not require the public authority to take any steps as a result of this decision.