The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a decision notice overturning Bristol City Council's refusal to disclose information concerning road blocks implemented as part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood project. The council had cited regulation 12(4)(b) of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) to claim the request was manifestly unreasonable. However, the ICO determined that this categorisation was incorrect and that the request was not vexatious.

The ICO has directed Bristol City Council to reconsider the information request. The council must now either provide the requested information or issue a valid response that does not rely on the 'manifestly unreasonable' exception under regulation 12(4)(b) of the EIR. This decision implies that public bodies must exercise greater scrutiny before refusing information requests on grounds of unreasonableness.