Information requests

You have the right to access information held by the Council, including your personal data, environmental information, and other recorded information.

Further guidance on how to make an information request and what to expect from the process is available on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Information we do not hold

We are often asked for information on the following services in Cheltenham:

Schools/Education
Libraries
On-street parking
Social care

Cheltenham Borough Council does not hold this information as it relates to a function that Gloucestershire County Council has responsibility for and who may hold the information.

Please contact them directly at [email protected].

Freedom of information (FOI)

You have the right to request recorded information that the Council holds on any subject. This applies to non‑environmental information and information that is not personal data.

Information already released can be found in the council's disclosure log or on our open data pages.

Social tenant access to information requirements (STAIRs)

From October 2026, social housing providers in England will face a new statutory transparency framework known as the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements, commonly referred to as STAIRs. The regime introduces formal rights for tenants of housing associations and other private registered providers to access information about how their homes and services are managed.

Tenants renting from local authorities already benefit from the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This allows them to request recorded information about repairs, spending, decision making, policies, and service performance.

Because Cheltenham Borough Council is a local authority, we are already required to comply with the Freedom of information act, therefore all STAIRS information requests will be handled in accordance with our FOI processes.

Environmental information regulations (EIR)

You have the right to access the information we hold about the environment. This can include: emission levels, policies, plans and the built environment.

Subject access request (SAR)

You have the right to request your own personal information or someone else that is appointed on your behalf.

To process a Subject Access Request, you may be asked to provide proof of identity.

How to make a request

All requests can be submitted by email or post using the details below.

Freedom of information requests can also be submitted via our online FOI platform.

Submit a freedom of information request

Email for FOI and EIR requests

[email protected]

Email for SARs

[email protected]

Postal address for all requests

Information Governance Officer
Cheltenham Borough Council
Promenade
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 9SA

Refusing the request

Some information cannot be made publicly available. The Freedom of Information Act, Subject Access Requests procedure and the Environmental Information Regulations have a list of exemptions that can be applied in these circumstances.

If this applies, we will tell you why we cannot give you some or all of the information you requested.

Freedom of information (FOI) act exemptions

The FOI Act enables people to request specific information held by public bodies, but there are also a number cases where information may not be disclosed which are called exemptions. The two main types of exemptions that apply to information held by Cheltenham Borough Council are:

Qualified exemptions

These are where information must be disclosed unless it can be argued that the public interest in withholding it is greater than the public interest in releasing it. This applies to:

Information intended for future publication
Investigations and proceedings conducted by us
Law enforcement
Health and safety
Environmental information
Legal professional privilege
Commercial interests
Where disclosure would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of the Council's affairs.

Absolute exemptions

These are where the information will not be disclosed, including:

Information accessible to the applicant by other means
Court records and other similar documentation
Personal information
Information provided in confidence by a third party where disclosure would give rise to an actionable breach of confidence

For further information about qualified and absolute exemptions see the Information Commissioner's website.

Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) exceptions

Information can be withheld if it would adversely affect any of the matters below, though most of these are subject to a Public Interest Test to assess whether the public interest in withholding it is greater than the public interest in releasing it:

International relations
Defence and national security
Public safety
The course of justice, including court proceedings within a public authority
Intellectual property rights
Legal confidentiality of any proceedings within a public authority
Commercial confidentiality designed to protect legitimate economic interests
Voluntarily supplied information from people who have not consented to its disclosure
The environment to which the information relates.

Other exceptions (some of which are also subject to a public interest test) include:

Requests that are manifestly unreasonable or too general
Incomplete or unfinished information such as draft reports or other work in progress
Internal communications from within the authority

Public interest test

Generally, the public interest is served when the disclosure of information would:

Further the understanding of, and the participation in, the debate of issues of the day
Facilitate the accountability and transparency of our decisions
Facilitate accountability and transparency in our spending of public money
Allow individuals to understand decisions made by us that affect their lives and, in some cases, assist individuals in challenging those decisions
Bring to light information affecting public safety.

However, we may withhold information where we think that the public interest will not be served, for instance where we believe that release will discourage openness in expression of opinions.

Charges for information

The council will not charge for information if the cost of locating and collating that information is less than £450. However, we can charge for actual disbursement costs incurred such as photocopying, postage and packaging costs. If the cost is between £450 and £800 the council can ask you to pay the full cost of handling the request.

If we needs to charge for the information, we will send you a fees notice stating how much the cost will be. The 20 working day time limit will stop until the fee is received. If the fee is not paid within three months, the council will be under no obligation to comply with the request.

The fees the council can charge under the act are set out in the Freedom of Information Fees Regulations 2004. Further information on charging is available on the Information Commissioner's website.

Reviews and complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive, you can request an internal review. To request an internal review please email: [email protected]

If you remain dissatisfied with the internal review outcome, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

You will be informed how to do this at each appropriate stage of the process.

Freedom of information publication scheme

This council has adopted the model publication scheme prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner. To minimise the need for specific information requests, we make as much information as possible available on our website. Any material which is published and accessed on the website will be available free of charge. The council's publication scheme is called 'Council and democracy - about the council'.