Request ID: FOI-0557-2324 Date published: 22 June 2023
You asked
F/O from 0270-2324
Dear Ms Thomas,
It is truly unfortunate you are refusing information based on what you claim is "high cost" and you have taken 20 working days to do so. The calculations of hours needed seem rather intentionally inflated in order to refuse FOI requests as seems to be the practice with TFL based on historic information around submitted requests available online. Please note 5 questions would in no way require 18 hours of work. For comparison other institutions such as the Fire brigade and the Ambulance service have answered exactly the same questions without issue. Please also note your current response will be reported to ICO and will be part of any legal claim against local authorities and service providers that arises from local residents and business affected by the below events.
Despite this obvious attempt of avoiding your legal responsibilities under FOI, as requested we will further streamline the initial request. Please respond to just question 1 and 3. To specify for the avoidance of doubt and significantly simplify as requested:
Q1. In relation to the TFL network, specifically: Acton Town, Gunnersbury and Kew Bridge stations, as well as E3, N11 and 70 buses- did TFL experience or have any reports of anti social behaviour (including but not limited to damage to vehicles, stations or other infrastructure, reports of overcrowding or safety hazards) during the below events and dates? Please specify numbers against each event.
2019
Lovebox
12 -13 Jul 2019
2022
Soho house Festival
29 June-14 July 2022
Gunnersbury Live!
4-27 August 2022
Waterworks
5-23 Sep 2022
Q3.3. What was the cost to TFL in supporting the above events? In specific how much additional resourcing/planned budget was required around stations & buses during the specified events. This includes but is not limited to: Preparation & planning, Extra staffing, Capacity measures, Infrastructure improvements.
The above as before are limited to specific routes and stations, dates and events thus are not broad or in any way a time consuming request. Please respond as soon as possible as you have already passed the legally stipulated 20 working days from the initial request. If you choose to turn down even these two questions please breakdown the exact time needed per question and the number of databases associated with the required work, this will then be escalated to ICO and the office of the Mayor of London.
Extremely disappointed
We answered
TfL Ref: 0557-2324
Thank you for your refined request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 25 May 2023 asking for information about events at Gunnersbury Park.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.
The event organiser had crowd control measures in place during the days of the events - both incoming journeys and also when people were going home. The event organisers supplied staff who controlled the flow of people from the A406 North Circular Road junction with Gunnersbury Lane traffic lights up to Acton Town station. They had barriers in place along the road controlling the event goers – it should be noted that Gunnersbury Lane is on the borough road network and not the Transport for London Road Network. There were no vehicles allowed along the road to Acton Town station when the event finished. The road was blocked at the bridge next to Acton Station. The British Transport Police (BTP) and Metropolitan Police (MPS) were in attendance monitoring the flow of people and diverting any traffic away from the blocked off area. You may want to contact the BTP and / or the MPS and the Local Authority to request any information they may hold on the dates / events.
Specifically, you asked: Q1. In relation to the TFL network, specifically: Acton Town, Gunnersbury and Kew Bridge stations, as well as E3, N11 and 70 buses- did TFL experience or have any reports of anti social behaviour (including but not limited to damage to vehicles, stations or other infrastructure, reports of overcrowding or safety hazards) during the below events and dates? Please specify numbers against each event.
2019 Lovebox 12 -13 Jul 2019
On 13/07/2019 a trespasser was identified on the track which caused us an 11 minute delay to the service. The customer was never identified as being going to the event or regular user of the network – Acton Town station.
2022 Soho house Festival 29 June-14 July 2022
No recorded information held.
Gunnersbury Live! 4-27 August 2022
No recorded information held.
Waterworks 5-23 Sep 2022
The incidents below relate to Gunnersbury station: 12-09- 2022 (AM peak time crowd control) 18-09-2022 (crowd control for football event) 19-09-2022 ( train held while vomit is cleared from train) 20-09-2022 (side panel on entry gate 52 loose – attributed to fare evasion)
Note, we are unable to say whether any of the above directly relate to the event. Please note that Kew Bridge station is operated by South West Railway (SWR) therefore we do not hold the information for this station.
The E3 and 70 bus services are owned by London United, and the N11 is owned by London General Transport Ltd – you may wish to contact the bus operators directly to request any information they hold however please be aware that they are not legally obliged to provide any information under the FOI Act.
Q3. What was the cost to TFL in supporting the above events? In specific how much additional resourcing/planned budget was required around stations & buses during the specified events. This includes but is not limited to: Preparation & planning, Extra staffing, Capacity measures, Infrastructure improvements.
There was no additional cost in relation to these events from a Surface Transport perspective. There was no additional activity that took place to support these events. Our Surface Events team is responsible for event planning and only officer time would have been used in the planning process. As this is the job of the Events team, there was no additional cost to the team or TfL.
Acton Town
At Acton Town, costs have been calculated for all the event dates requested that 246 hrs of overtime was required, at a cost of around £9,622.
We do not incur any additional costs at the other named stations which we operate.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
