Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council

The complainant has requested information relating to the redaction of a comment posted in respect of a planning application published on the Northern Ireland Planning Portal. The Council said it did not hold any recorded information that would explain why this particular redaction was made. The complainant argued that the Council had failed to comply with regulation 4 (proactive dissemination of environmental information), regulation 5 (duty to make environmental information available), regulation 9 (advice and assistance), regulation 12 (application of exceptions) and regulation 14 (refusal notice) of the EIR. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council does not hold the requested information. However he finds that the Council failed to comply with regulation 14 in that it ought to have cited the appropriate exception (regulation 12(4)(a)) in its refusal notice. The Commissioner does not uphold the complaints regarding regulations 4, 5 or 9. No steps are required.