EIR - Springfield Hospital [Dec 2024]

Your request 

Thank you for the additional information. However, I'm not clear on what the differences were as against the documentation that had previously been reviewed in the context of the earlier stage conclusion that the height was excessive. Please could you provide a side by side comparison of the relevant images / descriptions upon which the conclusion that the building heights is in fact not excessive was based, and any reasoning / documentation that supports the complete reversal of the original conclusion? It's just very difficult to understand how the same building height can become acceptable when it was previously concluded to be excessive *and harmful, so perhaps we're missing something. We've reviewed the available documentation and cannot find the supporting evidence or reasoning.

I'm still not clear which images you're referring to. Please could you point to specific images / page numbers? My FOI request also requested information supporting the decision - I have not been provided with any such documents, e.g. emails, minutes of meetings or calls. I appreciate that you've listed a number of items that were considered but that doesn't actually address my request, which was around the decision-making and anything that specifically supported the U-turn in the decision. Given it is such a stark reversal of position, I would expect there to be some detailed written analysis and evidence to support it, and this is what I have requested to be provided under the Act. 

Our response

Firstly, I would like to clarify with you that the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations provides access to recorded information held at the time a request is received. It does not oblige public authorities to create new information in order to respond to queries arising:

You do not have to create new information in response to a request. FOIA only applies to any recorded information which you already held at the time of a request .

We are therefore not required to access the VuCity model and provide new views for a site-by-site comparison. The updated views in the HVTIA addendum are like the original 2022 views but are of images taken in July and August 2024 reflecting the current conditions of the site (Please find attached). Please see attached correspondence with UD and conservation officers with their positions on height that informed the discussion in the report.