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.
We are often asked for information on the following services in Cheltenham:
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].
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.
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.
You have the right to access the information we hold about the environment. This can include: emission levels, policies, plans and the built environment.
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.
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 requestInformation Governance Officer
Cheltenham Borough Council
Promenade
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 9SA
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.
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:
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:
These are where the information will not be disclosed, including:
For further information about qualified and absolute exemptions see the Information Commissioner's website.
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:
Other exceptions (some of which are also subject to a public interest test) include:
The public interest test (PIT) enables decisions to be made on a case-by-case basis on where the balance between disclosing or withholding information lies.
It must be used when considering whether or not information should be withheld under an FOI qualified exemption or any exceptions of the EIRs.
The provision of the PIT recognises that, although a particular interest may sometimes be harmed by disclosure (and is therefore protected by an exemption or exception), when other, broader, factors are taken into consideration, the greater public interest is served by release. The underlying assumption is that information can be released unless the public interest in withholding can be shown to be greater than the public interest in release.
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.
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 are not content with the outcome of your internal review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot decide unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
You will be informed how to do this at each appropriate stage of the process.
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'.
© Cheltenham Borough Council 2026
Access to information policy - pdf - 213 Kb