What The Freedom of Information (FOI) is and how to request information.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives you the right of access to recorded information held by public authorities. This includes:
It is designed for public authorities to be open and transparent about the work they do, the decisions they make and how public money is spent.
You can ask for access to recorded information that the council already holds at the time of the request and which is not already available to the public. The act does not cover information that is already in the public domain or can already be viewed by the public.
There are some types of information that we do not have to provide under the act, such as:
There is no obligation for us to create new information in response to a request or to answer questions which ask for speculation and opinion.
Personal information about you is not covered by the Freedom of Information Act, but is covered by the Data Protection Act 2018.
To access information about you, you will need to make a Subject Access Request.
You can also make a FOI request by sending an email to Freedomofinformation@brighton-hove.gov.uk or by post to the Information Governance Team, Room 233, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 3BQ.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest. Get guidance from the ICO website
Download our Freedom of Information Policy (PDF 380KB).
Please contact our information governance team if you need any more help and advice.