The Information Commissioner has issued an information notice to the London Borough of Hounslow requiring it to provide further information in connection with an Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) complaint.
In an information notice dated 17 April 2026 (reference IC‑398328‑D4B4), the Commissioner exercised powers under section 51 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as applied by regulation 18 of the EIR, following a complaint about the council’s handling of an environmental information request.
The complaint arose from a request made to the council, which he Commissioner was asked to determine whether the request had been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the EIR.
According to the notice, the council informed the ICO on 20 February 2026 that, following an internal review, it had revised its position and would disclose all information within the scope of the request, except for personal data withheld under regulation 13 of the EIR.
However, on 10 March 2026 the complainant contacted the council to raise concerns that further information falling within the scope of the request had not been disclosed. The council initially disputed this, asserting that the matters raised constituted a new request for information.
The Commissioner rejected that position. Writing to the council on 25 March 2026, the ICO made clear that, with the exception of one specific issue identified by the complainant, the outstanding matters fell within the scope of the original request, given its breadth.
The Commissioner required the council to clarify whether it intended to rely on any EIR exceptions in respect of the remaining information and to provide submissions explaining its position. As this did not resolve the matter, the ICO issued an information notice.
The notice requires Hounslow, within 30 days, to provide:
- A complete response to the complainant addressing the additional issues raised in the email of 10 March 2026; and
- Full submissions explaining the reasons for relying on any exception to withhold information, where applicable.
The notice warns that failure to comply may result in the Commissioner certifying the matter to the High Court under section 54 of FOIA, where it may be dealt with as a contempt of court.
The council has a right of appeal against the information notice to the First‑tier Tribunal (Information Rights) within 28 days.
