Forest of Dean District Council

The complainant requested information relating to a development. Forest of Dean District Council (the “council”) initially handled the request under the FOIA but reconsidered it under the EIR during the Commissioner’s investigation and withheld the information under the exception for the interests of the information provider (regulation 12(5)(f)). The Commissioner’s decision is that the council initially wrongly handled the request under the FOIA and breached regulation 5(1) and regulation 14 and that it failed to demonstrate that the exception in regulation 12(5)(f) is engaged. The Commissioner requires the council to disclose the requested information to the complainant.