Romford Councillor Slams Havering Council For Breach Of The Information Act.

St Edwards Ward Councillor David Taylor has slammed Havering Council after he found them found to be in breach of the Freedom of Information Act, having failed to provide a response to him.

Councillor Taylor wrote to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after he submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding ULEZ. 

“I requested copies of emails, between senior Councillors, regarding UELZ” ¸ Councillor Taylor said. “This is something members of the public are entitled to, according to FOI law, and I wanted to see why our council put up such a weak opposition”. 

Havering Council received the request on 30^th January 2023 and FOI law means that they must respond within 20 working days. Councillor Taylor chased for a reply on 27th March and received confirmation of his chase two days letter. 

The requested information wasn’t released to Councillor Taylor until after he informed the Leader, Councillor Ray Morgon, of the ICO complaint. 

“I felt I had to complain to the ICO in order to move things along. Councillors shouldn’t have to use FOIs in the first place, but the Leader has encouraged us to previously. So, if this is the way we have to go, then I want them to stick to the rules and provide the information in a timely manner”. 

Councillor Taylor is quick to point out that he has found the HRA administration is fairly cooperative. “Most of the time, I eventually get the answers and I have to commend the HRA for that. It’s good that we can cooperate across the political divide and it’s the type of politics that I want to see.

“However, it’s clear that the council staff are over-worked and I believe this is the cause of the delay. I hope that, in future, Councillors will not be forced down the FOI route and that Cabinet members will be more forthcoming with information”. 

As for what the FOI information revealed, Councillor Taylor described it as scandalous. 

“We now have email evidence that the Labour Leader in Havering demanded the HRA took a soft approach with Mayor Khan. They called for ULEZ to be delayed and for an anti-UELZ council motion to be toned down. 

“Havering residents don’t want ULEZ delayed and they don’t want softly spoken words. They want ULEZ scrapped and they want proper opposition. It’s clear that the HRA are being held back by Labour”.

An earlier FOI request, by Councillor Taylor, also revealed the location of ULEZ cameras across Havering.

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you