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Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) came into force on 1 January 2005, replacing the former regulations which were in place since December 1992, giving members of the public the right to access environmental information held by public authorities.

What is environment information?
Environmental information covers information on the state of the environment, such as:

• Air, water, soil, land, flora and fauna (including human beings), diversity, genetically modified organisms
• Information on emissions and discharges, noise, energy, radiation, waste and other such substances
• Measures and activities such as policies, plans and agreements
• Reports, cost benefit and economic analyses
• The state of human health and safety, contamination of the food chain
• Cultural sites and built structures (as they may be affected by environmental factors)

Where can I get further information about the Regulations?
Further information about these Regulations is available on the  Defra website at the following link: Environmental Information Regulations. Defra has also produced a public leaflet which tells you more.

How do I make a request?
Requests can be made verbally or in writing. You can write into us at the following address:

Bournemouth Borough Council,
Legal Services,
Bourne Avenue,
Bournemouth,
Dorset,
BH2 6DY

Email your request to The Information Compliance Team
Or phone us on (01202) 451179 or 451044

If a verbal request is made, we recommend that you note who you spoke to, the date, and the information you requested. You may wish to follow up a verbal request with a letter or email confirming your request.

How long does the Council have to respond to a request?
A request must usually be answered within 20 working days of receipt of the request, but this time period can be extended to 40 working days if the request is complex. If we receive a request which we believe to be too general, we will contact you as soon as possible to try and determine the specific information you are wanting to access.

Can fees be charged?
The Council may charge a reasonable fee for disclosing information, but cannot charge an applicant to inspect the information on site. Some information may already be accessible to the public already.

When can information be withheld?
The regulations contain a number of exceptions which allow public authorities to withhold certain information. If a public authority refuses to disclose all or part of the information requested, that authority must state in writing what exeception has been applied. Examples of the exceptions include:

• Information that would adversley affect international relations, defence, national security or public safety
• Information relating to unfinished or incomplete material
• Commercially sensitive information
• Information not held

How do I appeal or make a complaint?
If you're not happy with the response given to your application you can make a formal complaint about the way your request has been handled. This should be done in writing to the address below:

Bournemouth Borough Council,
Legal Services,
Bourne Avenue,
Bournemouth,
Dorset,
BH2 6DY

Your complaint will be dealt with under our 'Complaints Procedure'. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can appeal to the Information Commissioner at the address below:

The Information Commissioner,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF