The Freedom of Information Act – a Toothless Tiger?

The Freedom of Information Act was designed to support open government. Protect Diseworth’s experience shows the opposite.

As you will see elsewhere on this website, this village faces the possibility of SEGRO, the national ‘big shed’ developer, applying to build an industrial zone on 250 acres of greenfield agricultural land, land mostly owned by East Midlands Airport, immediately next to the village (an area described by our Conservative councilor as being its ‘green lung.’) This is being done in conjunction with the Treasury and other partners as part of the government’s East Midlands Freeport project. SEGRO and the Airport stand to make millions as a result.

Without the Freeport badge (strictly the Treasury’s ‘designation as a tax-free zone’ ) it is highly unlikely that planning permission could even be contemplated on such a site. As a result, what we really want to know is why this specific piece of land (there are several other sites already within the Freeport) was included at all and then, only at the very last minute. Even the partners had not asked for it in their original proposal. No consultation took place. It just happened. What has been going on?

What better way to find the answer to the question than use Freedom of Information?  The ‘public interest’ for Diseworth is huge. The village stands to be afflicted by 32 metre high boxes causing 24 hours working with all the noise, air and light pollution that could follow. So, we asked each of HM Treasury, NorthWest Leicestershire District Council and Leicestershire County Council why the land was included. Each refused using different reasons ranging from the council saying that such a request was ‘oppressive’ through to them all saying that the information sought was confidential.

 What is so confidential? Who wants to hide what? Projected profits for SEGRO, the Airport, and the other partners? The damage to Diseworth? We simply do not know.

Under the Act, it’s possible to ask for an internal review of a refusal. We asked, but no surprise when each party re-stated its refusal.

The next stage was to appeal to the Information Commissioner. It turns out that the Commissioner doesn’t even start to look at an appeal file for 9 months, by which time SEGRO’s planning application would be well underway. After we complained further, the Commissioner finally agreed to expedite the Treasury appeal, but to date, still nothing has happened.

Freedom of information? Apparently not for the private individual and if you’re a government department working hand in glove with major commercial enterprises, it seems your secrets are safe. The only way to deal with this is to fight and so, despite this behaviour, Protect Diseworth will continue to press its case hard to the Commissioner and if necessary, beyond.

If you support our fight against this cover-up and the wider fight against the concreting over of productive agricultural land, then please donate. Every little helps…