The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) allow you to request information from public authorities so you have a better insight into the work we carry out on your behalf.
Information about yourself is treated differently and you can request this as part of your personal data rights under the Data Protection Act.
Before you make a request, please check to see if the information is already available in one of the following places:
- open data, which includes information on senior officer pay, car parking revenue and business rate accounts
- public registers, such as planning applications or licensing registers
- freedom of information publication scheme, which shows what information we routinely make available
- information request disclosure log, where we publish responses to previous information requests
How to make an FOI request
If you cannot find the information you are seeking, then you can make an information request.
All requests must be made in writing.
After you have made a request
We will acknowledge receipt of your request and provide you with a reference number. If we're unsure about what information you want, we may ask you for clarification.
Your request should be answered within 20 working days, although in some circumstances this could be longer. If we need more time to respond to your request, we will notify you of the delay.
In the case we cannot answer your request or provide you with the information you have asked for, we will provide you with a reason.
If you are not happy with our response
If you have questions arising from the information we provide, these may be treated as new requests. You can also ask for a review by emailing foi@cambridge.gov.uk.
We will deal with your review in line with our Internal review policy [PDF, 0.2MB].
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the review you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Most of the information we publish on our website is available through the Open Government Licence.
The Information Commissioner's Office oversees freedom of information regulations. Visit their website to find out more about the Freedom of Information Act and for advice about making requests.
