ICO Decision: Oxford City Council Cherry Tree Information Disclosure

ICO Decision Notices

Filed February 18th, 2026

Detected February 26th, 2026

Summary

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued a decision regarding Oxford City Council's disclosure of information about cherry tree removal. The ICO found that the council had complied with the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and did not require further action.

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What changed

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has concluded its investigation into a complaint concerning Oxford City Council's handling of a request for information about cherry tree removals. The complainant disputed the council's assertion that it held no further relevant information beyond what was disclosed. The ICO's decision, dated February 18, 2026, found that on the balance of probabilities, the council had disclosed all relevant information it held and complied with regulation 5(1) of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR).

As the ICO did not require the council to take further steps, no immediate compliance actions are mandated for other regulated entities based on this specific decision. The case serves as an example of the ICO's adjudication process for information requests under the EIR, confirming that a public authority's disclosure was deemed sufficient in this instance.

Source document (simplified)

Oxford City Council

Date 18 February 2026
Sector Local government
Decision(s) EIR 5(1): Not upheld The complainant requested information relating to the removal of cherry trees. Oxford City Council (the “council”) disclosed information and confirmed that further information wasn’t held. The complainant disputes this. The Commissioner’s decision is that, on the balance of probabilities, the council has disclosed all the relevant information it holds and that it complied with regulation 5(1) of the EIR. The Commissioner does not require the council to take further steps.