The Act came fully into force on 1 January 2005 and from this date, the Council must reply to any written request for information under the new rules.
The Council's obligations:
- To respond within 20 working days following the date of receipt
- Confirm whether the information being requested is held
- Provide advice & assistance
- Advise your rights of Appeal
The Act will allow you access to information held regardless of when that information was created or how long it has been held by the Council, subject to it still being retained.
There are some exemptions to the types of information that can be requested under the act, and should an exemption apply, we will write and tell you which exemption is being applied and why.
How can I obtain information?
There are 2 routes to accessing information under the new rules
1. From the Council's approved publication scheme. This is a list of all the information the Council readily publishes and you may find what you are looking for there. Please see the Downloads section above right.
2. If the information you require is not within the publication scheme, you can make a separate written request using the following contact details
- By completing the online information request form on the right.
- By sending an email to accessinfo@havering.gov.uk
- By posting or faxing a letter to the Information Governance Team at the address above
Please make sure your request is specific and includes an email or postal address for us to respond to.