Oxford Direct Services Withheld Tucker Road Construction Data, Upheld
Summary
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a Decision Notice dated 22 April 2026 concerning Oxford Direct Services Trading Limited (ODSL), finding that ODSL improperly withheld information about the construction of three homes on Tucker Road. The ICO determined that ODSL was not entitled to rely upon regulation 12(5)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR), which allows withholding of commercial or industrial information, to withhold the requested data. The Commissioner requires ODSL to disclose the withheld information to the complainant.
“The Commissioner's decision is that ODSL was not entitled to rely upon regulation 12(5)(e) of the EIR to withhold the information requested.”
About this source
The Information Commissioner's Office is the UK's data protection and freedom of information authority. Decision notices are the formal written outcomes of ICO investigations into complaints against public authorities for Freedom of Information Act compliance. Around 230 decisions a month, each naming the authority, request details, whether the request was upheld, partially upheld, or rejected, and any remedial action ordered. Decision notices are a rich vein of information about UK government transparency and often reveal what specific requests ICO considers legitimate. Watch this if you file FOI requests in the UK, advise public authorities on disclosure obligations, or research information rights case law.
What changed
The ICO reviewed a complaint regarding Oxford Direct Services Trading Limited (ODSL), which had withheld information about the construction of three homes on Tucker Road. ODSL cited regulation 12(5)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations, which permits refusal of requests involving commercial or industrial information where disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the holder. The Commissioner found that ODSL was not entitled to apply this exception in this case, meaning the information does not qualify for protection under the commercial interest exemption. Public authorities that have withheld environmental information under similar commercial/industrial exceptions in EIR requests should review whether their reliance on regulation 12(5)(e) meets the threshold applied here — specifically, that disclosure would genuinely prejudice commercial interests.
What to do next
- ODSL must disclose the withheld information to the complainant
Archived snapshot
Apr 28, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Oxford Direct Services Trading Limited
- Date 22 April 2026
- Sector Local government, Other
- Decision(s) EIR 12(5)(e): Upheld The complainant requested information about the construction of three homes on Tucker Road. Oxford Direct Services Ltd (ODSL) withheld the information requested under regulation 12(5)(e) (commercial or industrial information). The Commissioner’s decision is that ODSL was not entitled to rely upon regulation 12(5)(e) of the EIR to withhold the information requested. The Commissioner requires ODSL to disclose the withheld information
Named provisions
Mentioned entities
Related changes
Get daily alerts for ICO Decision Notices
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from ICO.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when ICO Decision Notices publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.