The ICO has upheld a complaint against the London Borough of Lambeth under Regulation 5(2) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004. The council failed to respond to a freedom of information request within the statutory 20 working day timeframe. The Commissioner has issued a binding decision requiring the public authority to provide a substantive response to the complainant within 30 calendar days of the decision date.

Lambeth Council must take immediate action to compile and send a response to the pending EIR request within 30 calendar days from 27 March 2026. Failure to comply with this ICO decision could result in further enforcement action, including potential escalation to the Upper Tribunal. Public authorities receiving similar ICO notices should ensure their information request handling procedures meet statutory deadlines to avoid comparable enforcement action.