Somerset Council

The complainant requested road safety audit reports for a specified highway improvement scheme. Somerset Council (the ‘Council’) ultimately considered the request under the EIR. It said there had been no Stage 1 Audit and provided a copy of the Stage 2 Audit Report. It cited Regulation 12(4)(d) of the EIR (the exception for material in the course of completion, unfinished documents and incomplete data) in relation to the requested Stage 3 report. The complainant’s remaining concerns centred on the withheld Stage 3 report. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council was correct to handle the request under the EIR. He also finds that the Council has properly relied on Regulation 12(4)(d) of the EIR to withhold the requested Stage 3 report. No steps are required as a result of this notice.