London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The complainant requested information relating to a development lease granted by the public authority. The public authority withheld the relevant information on the basis of section 44(1)(a) (statutory prohibition on disclosure) of the Act and also alternatively relied on the exception at regulation 12(5)(e) of the EIR. The Commissioner found that part of the information was environmental information. He however found both sections 44(1)(a) and regulation 12(5)(e) did not apply and further found the public authority in procedural breach of the Act and the EIR.