The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) covers access to environmental information as follows:

(a) the state of the elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements

(b) factors, such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment referred to in (a);

(c) measures (including administrative measures), such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in (a) and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements

(d) reports on the implementation of environmental legislation

(e) cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used within the framework of the measures and activities referred to in (c) and

(f) the state of human health and safety, including the contamination of the food chain, where relevant, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures inasmuch as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment referred to in (a) or, through those elements, by any of the matters referred to in (b) and (c)

If you are not sure whether a request is an FOI or EIR please contact us and we will advise.

Requests for environmental information can be made verbally (in person/by telephone) or in writing (hard copy/electronic) to any AVDC employee. However to ensure your request is handled as efficiently as possible our preferred method of receiving EIR requests is:

Email: records@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

Post:

Administration and Information Officer
IT Division
Aylesbury Vale District Council
The Gateway
Gatehouse Road
Aylesbury
Bucks
HP19 8FF

Call: 01296 585771 or 01296 585858.

The EIR require us to respond within 20 working days (excluding Bank Holidays), the first day is counted as the working day after the request was received by the Council.

You may ask for a review of any decision not to supply information, and also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

We keep a record of EIR requests made, and the responses given, for two years after the date of last contact with the requestor, after which time the request is destroyed.

Our photocopy and computer printouts charges for EIR requests are:
Black & White A4 - 10p
Black & White A3 - 20p
Colour A4 - 50p
Colour A3 - 75p

The EIR Act is enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), further information can be found at their website www.ico.gov.uk.

For EIR enquiries call 01296 585771.

Date Updated: 23/04/13