About Freedom of Information
What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) gives people the right to request information held by public authorities.
Freedom of information gives you 2 rights:
- the right to be told if information exists
- the right to receive information subject to certain exemptions under the Act and relevant legislation, meaning we cannot always provide the information
You are already entitled under the Data Protection Act 2018 to request a copy of any personal data that we may hold about you. Strict regulations determine how we can use this data, in particular protecting you from having it made available to others inappropriately.
What about environmental information?
This is governed by the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) which broadly align with the Freedom of Information Act but features exceptions rather than exemptions, and relate to specific information about planning, pollution and other environmental issues. The timeframe and review processes are the same for FOI and EIR.
What can I ask for?
The Right to Know allows you to access a range of recorded information held by Redbridge Council. This may include printed documents, computer files, letters, emails, photographs and audio/video recordings.
If the information you want concerns future plans/activities, only the information already held will be provided. The Act does not require us to communicate future plans or provide opinions on the subject of any request.
You cannot ask for personal information regarding another individual and there are other exemptions which apply to the provision of information.
How do I make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request?
First of all check existing repositories and public sources of information to see if what you’re interested in has already been published, or asked and answered.
1. A lot of information is published on our website. Use the AI-enhanced search to locate it
2. A lot of information is proactively published on our transparency pages
3. Previous FOI disclosures that others have raised can often be found in our disclosure log
4. Additionally some requestors use the WhatDoTheyKnow service which allows all exchanges regarding requests
If you can’t find what you’re looking for then Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information (EIR) requests can be made through our FOI request form:
Or write to us at:
Information Governance
7th floor
Lynton House
Ilford
IG1 1NY
In your request please clearly state: what information you want, your real name, an address for the response (either postal or email address) and telephone number.
When a request requires information that is readily available, this information will be provided and not logged as an FOI request.
Is there a charge?
There is no charge for making a request for information, but in some circumstances, there may be a charge for providing the response. For example:
- If it will take longer than 18 hours to collect and provide the information, then your request will be refused. If this is the case, we will tell you as soon as possible and offer advice and assistance to bring the scope of the request within the appropriate limit.
- If you wish to receive the information in a hard copy or a specialist format, there may be a charge for supplying information in this way, but we will tell you if this is the case and how much it will cost
When will I get a response?
When we receive a request, we aim to acknowledge receipt within 3 working days and you should receive your response within 20 working days.
If the information you have requested requires clarification, your request will be placed on hold until the clarification has been received. This will extend the time allowed to respond.
