Cumulative Report Mystery

 Back in June Cllr Athwal announced a cumulative report into the impact of so many developments being proposed in Redbridge. This is helpful to our campaign as the national planning guidelines give over development as a material consideration. Paragraph 181 of the National Planning Policy Framework states

"Planning policies and decisions should sustain and contribute towards compliance with relevant limit values or national objectives for pollutants, taking into account the presence of Air Quality Management Areas and Clean Air Zones, and the cumulative impacts from individual sites in local areas."

The full document is at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/810197/NPPF_Feb_2019_revised.pdf

At the end of this post is my appeal to Redbridge Council and Cllr Athwal to publish the information they hold on the proposed report. The Council have answers to the four questions below, but will not release them, this is unacceptable.

1 The names of the developments to be considered in the cumulative impact report.
2 The types of pollutant to be considered, ie NO2,particulutes etc.
3 When is the report expected to be published
4 Apart from air quality, what else will be considered? For example, the impact of so much development on health and education in Redbridge

Text of appeal email sent on 11th August is below.

Dear Redbridge Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Redbridge Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Planning cumulative impact report'. your ref 10029182

Thank you for your reply you write to say:

"Request
I seek the following information in written instructions to council officers to from
Cllr Athwal regarding the cumulative impact study.
1 The names of the developments to be considered in the cumulative impact
report.
2 The types of pollutant to be considered, ie NO2, particulutes etc.
3 When is the report expected to be published
4 Apart from air quality, what else will be considered? For example, the impact of
so much development on health and education in Redbridge
I can confirm that London Borough of Redbridge holds the information you
requested. However, the information is exempt from disclosure under Section
22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA). There is a clear intention to
publish the information at a future date and in line with section 22(1)(c) it is
considered reasonable in all the circumstances that the information should be
withheld from disclosure until the date of publication.

It is considered that the greater public interest therefore lies in not providing the
information at this time. In coming to that conclusion, the public interest in
providing the information has been carefully weighed against any prejudice to the
public interest that might arise from withholding the information; in all the
circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption
outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information."

For a vote to be meaningful at local elections, Councils need to disclose information about their plans and consult upon them in order to be held to account. The usual practice of Redbridge is to consult with residents before making important decisions and I can see no reason why the cumulative impact assessment should be any different.

Naming the developments and pollutants will allow the public and Cllrs to influence if the list should be added to before publication. The end date is vital as a date too far into the future will be use of no use to campaigners for developments to be decided in the near future, so making it important that the proposed publication date is published now. What else from pollution will be considered is also vital, for example, if health if left off the report, Cllrs and the public may wish to add it on.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...

Yours faithfully,

Andy Walker