ICO Decision Notice: Council Failed to Respond to FOI Request

ICO Decision Notices

Filed March 10th, 2026

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued a decision notice against South Gloucestershire Council for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request within the statutory 20-day period. The ICO requires the council to respond to the complainant within 30 calendar days.

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What changed

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice (IC-474100-W4G1) against South Gloucestershire Council for violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by failing to respond to a request within the mandated 20 working days. The decision upholds the complaint, finding the public authority in breach of its obligations under FOIA.

The ICO requires South Gloucestershire Council to provide the complainant with a substantive response to the original FOI request within 30 calendar days from the date of this notice. Failure to comply with this requirement will constitute a contempt of court and may result in further enforcement action. This serves as a reminder to all public authorities of their statutory duties regarding timely responses to information requests.

What to do next

Ensure response to the complainant is provided within 30 calendar days.
Review internal FOI request handling procedures to prevent future breaches.

Penalties

Failure to comply may result in contempt of court.

Source document (simplified)

South Gloucestershire Council

Date 10 March 2026
Sector Local government
Decision(s) FOI 10: Upheld The public authority has failed to respond to this request within 20 working days, as specified under FOIA. The Commissioner requires it to provide the complainant with a response to this request within 30 calendar days in accordance with its obligations under FOIA.