Publication - FOI/EIR release

A87 Trunk Road Structural Maintenance Schemes: EIR release

Published: 30 January 2018
Part of: Public sector, Transport

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

FOI reference: FOI/18/00019
Date received: 4 January 2018
Date responded: 29 January 2018

Information requested

1. All reports and documents prepared by the roads maintenance team, including those held by contractors, in respect of the clean up operation following our client's accident;

2. All reports prepared by the roads maintenance team, including those held by contractors, in respect of oil spills along this stretch of road in the period 27/09/2017 to date;

3. All road traffic accidents reported to have taken place along this stretch of road in the period of 27/09/2017 to date;

4. All work carried out by Transport Scotland, or their agents, along this stretch of road in the period of 27/09/2017 to date;

5. All complaints regarding this section of road made to Transport Scotland, or their agents, in the period of 27/09/2017 to date;

6. Information on all proposed work to be carried out by Transport Scotland, or their agents, along this section of road;

7. All investigatory material and reports relative to skid resistance surveying on this stretch of road in the period of 27/09/2017 to date;

8. Transport Scotland's decision making criteria with respect to when skid resistance surveying is required – with specific regard to the number of accidents required before the surveying is carried out;

9. All information relative to the decision as to the installation of warning signs on this road in August, September and October 2017;

10. All reports and documents prepared by the roads maintenance team, including those held by contractors, in respect of the clean up operation following our client's accident while driving vehicle registration SK08 CNN;

11. All road traffic accidents reported to have taken place on this stretch of road within the period of 01/01/2017 to date.

Response

I have numbered our response for ease of reference.

1. Please refer to Annex A of this request which contains information on the clean up of this incident.

2. Annex A also contains information on oil spills on this stretch of road for the time frame requested.

3. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reason why that exception applies is that the information given to Transport from Police Scotland has only been supplied up until 25 July 2017. We are currently waiting on an update from Police Scotland to supply us with information after this date.

4. Two A87 trunk road structural maintenance schemes, at Druim Na Cleochd (North of) and Sconser were due for completion before December 2017 however weather impacted upon this . These two projects are now scheduled to be completed by 27 Feb and 2 March respectively.

Drainage works werecarried out on A87 Drum na Cleodh (Phase 1), this included cutting of new ditches on the southbound side of the carriageway and clearance of an existing filter drain.

5. Please refer to Annex B of this request which contains information on complaints received.

6. Below is a list of current planned works around the area requested. Please note that all upcoming financial year schemes will be subject to confirmation of the budget available to the operating company and a priorotisation process.

A87 Trunk Road Structural Maintenance Schemes

2017/18
North of Druim Na Cleochd (February)
Sconser (March)

2018/19
Blackhill

2020/21
Torra Mhichaig
Head of Loch Ainort

A87 Trunk Road Planned Maintenance Schemes

Drum na Cleodh Phase 2 – Culvert replacement, ditching and filter drain renewal – April 2018
Route priority signing improvements – FY 2018/19
Route priority roadmarking & studding – FY 2018/19

7. Annex C of this request contains all investigatory reports in relation to skid resistance.

8. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under the exception at regulation 10(4)(b) of the EIRs a public authority may refuse a request for information if it is 'manifestly unreasonable'. This request is substantially similar to question 8 of FOI/17/02810. For these reasons, we consider that this part of your request is a repeat of your previous request and so it is manifestly unreasonable. Therefore, we are refusing it under regulation 10(4)(b).

As the exception is conditional we have applied the 'public interest test'. This means we have, in all the circumstances of this case, considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception, While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about, this is outweighed by the public interest in ensuring the efficient and effective use of public resources by not complying with an information request which is substantially similar to one which we have complied with previously.

9. I can confirm that no signs were installed during the requested period.

10. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under the exception at regulation 10(4)(b) of the EIRs a public authority may refuse a request for information if it is 'manifestly unreasonable'. This request is substantially similar to question 1 of this FOI. For these reasons, we consider that this part of your request is a repeat of your previous request and so it is manifestly unreasonable. Therefore, we are refusing it under regulation 10(4)(b).

11. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under the exception at regulation 10(4)(b) of the EIRs a public authority may refuse a request for information if it is 'manifestly unreasonable'. This request is substantially similar to question 3 of this FOI. For these reasons, we consider that this part of your request is a repeat of your previous request and so it is manifestly unreasonable. Therefore, we are refusing it under regulation 10(4)(b).

As the exception is conditional we have applied the 'public interest test'. This means we have, in all the circumstances of this case, considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception, While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about , this is outweighed by the public interest in ensuring the efficient and effective use of public resources by not complying with an information request which is substantially similar to one which we have complied with previously.

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