Peak District National Park Authority

The complainant requested various items of information from the Peak District National Park Authority (“the authority”). The authority refused to respond to the requests using the exclusions under section 14(1) and 14(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the FOIA”), which concern vexatious and repeated requests. The Commissioner decided that the authority should have considered the requests under both the FOIA and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“the EIR”). The Commissioner therefore considered the application of the equivalent exception under the EIR, regulation 12(4)(b), which relates to manifestly unreasonable requests. The Commissioner’s decision is that the information was exempt under section 14(1) and regulation 12(4)(b). The Commissioner finds that the authority breached its obligations under regulation 14(2) and 14(3) because of its failure to issue a refusal notice under the EIR. The Commissioner does not require any steps to be taken.