Request for information under Environmental Regulations
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Environmental Information Regulations (Scotland) 2004 came into effect on 1 January 2005, allowing public access to environmental information held by public authorities in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
This means, our customers and members of the public can ask us to supply environmental information on any of the following:
- The state of the elements of the environment and the interaction among these elements; (e.g. water, air, soil or land)
- Factors affecting or likely to affect those elements; (e.g. radiation, noise, energy, waste, emissions)
- Measures or activities affecting or likely to affect those factors or elements, or designed to protect those elements; (e.g. spend or maintenance)
- Reports on the implementation of environmental legislation;
- Cost-benefit and other economic analysis and assumptions used within the framework of those measures and activities; and
- The state of human health and safety, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures in as much as they are or may be affected by those elements
Please note that SGN is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Prior to submitting your request we recommend that you review our website, as we routinely provide access to a variety of environmental information free of charge. Where we are aware that information is already available publicly, we’ll inform you of this and no charge will be applied.
How to make a request
In order to facilitate your request we have a designated email through which enquiries can be made. Contact can be made in the following ways:
By email: Data.Protection@sgn.co.uk
By post:
SGN Legal Services
SGN
St Lawrence House
Station Approach
Horley
RH6 9HJ
We’re required to respond to requests for environmental information within 20 working days. In some cases, an extension up to 40 working days may be required where the request is more complex.
If we are not clear on exactly what information you are requesting we will write to you and ask for further clarification. If this is the case, the information will be provided within 20 days of receiving your clarification.
Although we apply a presumption in favour of disclosure, there are a few occasions where we may not be able to meet your request for environmental information which include but are not limited to the following:
- We do not hold the requested information
- The requested information is not subject to the provisions of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
- The public interest case to not disclose the information outweighs the public interest case to disclose the information
If we cannot provide the requested information, then an explanation will be provided to you.
Charges for Environmental Information
We may make a charge for environmental information requests. Our charges for the provision of environmental information will be based upon the Information Commissioner's guidance.
If we consider that a charge should be applied based on the above, these will be calculated as follows:
- Staff time spent locating, retrieving and extracting the information requested. This will be charged at a rate of £25 per hour of staff time.
- Printing or copying the requested information will be charged at 10p per page
- Postage fees will be charged at cost. Documents will be sent 2nd Class post
When we receive your request, we will advise whether a charge will apply and the expected cost. Should you then wish to proceed with the request the information will be provided following receipt of the payment. Any requests where the payment has not been received will be automatically archived 20 working days after us providing the quotation.
Complaints
If you have made a request for environmental information and you are dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to make a complaint within 40 working days of receipt of the refusal. You may make your complaint using the same contact details as given for ‘How to make a request’, above.
Appeals to the ICO
If you are still unhappy following the outcome of the internal review process, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. They can be contacted in the following ways:
By email: casework@ico.org.uk
By post:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF