The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The complainant requested information about searches for unexploded ordnance in Studland, Dorset. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty drew the complainant’s attention to some information in the public domain, but refused to comply with the request in full because it did not consider itself obliged to comply with requests made under the Environmental Information Regulations as it was not a public authority for the purposes of the legislation. The Commissioner’s decision is that the National Trust is not a public authority for the purposes of the EIR and was therefore not obliged to comply with the request. As the National Trust is not a public authority, the Commissioner has no power to require it to take remedial steps.