The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice finding Sheffield City Council in breach of Regulation 5(2) of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). The breach occurred due to the Council's failure to provide a substantive response to a complainant's request for information regarding the closure of Montague Street within the statutory 20-working-day timeframe. The decision notice, dated March 13, 2026, mandates that Sheffield City Council must now provide the requested information in accordance with its EIR obligations.

This decision highlights the critical importance of adhering to statutory timeframes for responding to information requests under the EIR. For regulated entities, particularly government agencies, this serves as a reminder to ensure robust internal processes are in place to manage and respond to such requests promptly. Failure to comply can result in formal findings of breach and enforcement action by the ICO. Sheffield City Council is required to take immediate action to provide the outstanding response to the complainant.