Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004

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The Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 came into effect on 1st January 2005 at the same time as the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. The Scottish Government have issued a Code of Practice to cover these regulations.

The regulations established arrangements to allow people to request environmental information from public authorities and those bodies carrying out a public function. The Scottish Information Commissioner enforces these regulations.

Access to environmental information is not new; in 2004 there were already in place existing 1992 regulations that had been further amended in 1998. The 2004 regulations updated the existing arrangements to make sure that Scotland complied with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental matters, signed by the UK at Aarhus (Arhus) in Denmark in 1998 (usually called "The Aarhus (Arhus) Convention").

What is "environmental information"?

The definition of environmental information is very broad and includes information in written, visual, audio-taped or database form about:

elements of the environment - such as air, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites, plants and animals, crops, genetically modified organisms (usually called "GM"), wildlife and biological diversity - and it includes any interaction between them ...
human health and safety, conditions of human life, the food chain, cultural sites and built structures, which are or likely to be affected by the state of the elements of the environment and the interaction between them ...
substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, emissions, discharges and other releases affecting the environment ...
measures and activities affecting or intended to protect the environment. This includes administrative measures, policies, legislation, plans, programmes and environmental agreements ...
cost benefit and other economic analysis used in decision making about the environment ...

Environmental information held by Dundee City Council

Because the definition of "environmental information" is so wide, a lot of information held by Dundee City Council may fall under Environmental Information Regulations. The Council also provides a growing number of on-line resources about the environment:

Local Agenda 21 Policy
Open Space Strategy
Waste Strategy
Discover Dundee Waterfront
Contaminated Land Strategy (1.25MB PDF)
Urban Design Guide (3.72MB PDF)
City Development Department current initiatives and publications
Air Quality and Screening Assessment (1.89MB PDF)
Historical
- Maps and Ordnance Survey Plans
- Map Collection
Economic Profile, demographics, business area map and drive-times (2MB PDF)
About Dundee (5.56MB PDF)
Flood Prevention Report 2009 (6.38MB PDF)

How to make a request for environmental information

You can use the Freedom of Information (FoISA) online form or email foi@dundeecity.gov.uk. Unlike a FoISA request, your request for environmental information does not need to be in writing. It would be helpful if you could provide as many details as possible to help us find the information you are asking for. You do not need to explain why you want to see the information. We do require your name and address or your e-mail address. This is so that we can contact you with any queries about your request, and provide the information to you.

Charging

Dundee City Council may charge a fee as allowed by Section 8 of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, but not if you call at an office to look at the information yourself. You will be informed as soon as possible after your request if a fee is to be charged, the fee amount and asked whether you wish to proceed.

Information will not be released until any fee has been paid.

Dundee's Outdoor Access Strategy

Discovering the Liveable City (1.09MB PDF)

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