High Peak Borough Council

The complainant requested information from High Peak Borough Council (“the council”) relating to a public consultation on its Local Development Plan. The council initially refused the request under Regulation 12(4)(d) of the EIR (material still in the course of completion). It subsequently withdrew its reliance upon this exception and published copies of the consultation responses. The complainant, however, disputes the council’s application of Regulation 13(1) of the EIR to redact the names and postcodes of some of the respondents. The Commissioner’s decision is that the council was correct to apply Regulation 13(1) to withhold post code information in relation to the respondents to the consultation, however he considers that it was not correct to apply it to withhold the names of the respondents. The Commissioner requires the council to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation: To disclose the redacted names of the individuals who submitted consultation responses to the council.