Dear TfL, I am a Masters Civil Engineering student, and I am requesting information for a local steel foot bridge over the north circular. I believe the bridge is called A406 780. This information is needed for a piece of research that I will be undertaking. I requested the required information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to Brent Council and I was told that I will needed to contact Transport for London (TfL), as this bridge comes under your responsibility. I am looking for as much as information that is available to me, such as: - General/basic information such as; when and who it was designed by, when it was built and how long it took, how much it cost etc. - More technical information such as maintenance works carried out, engineering design drawings, inspection reports etc. For the exact location of the bridge please see the following links: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5496827,-0.2627329,80m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5497503,-0.2625908,3a,75y,190.79h,86.8t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sr44G1Yxe4N-dIrz_ZDWfGQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en Thank you,

---

TfL Ref: FOI-3525-1819

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 28 March asking for information about Normans Mead footbridge (A406/07.80).

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and TfL’s information access policy.  I can confirm TfL does hold the information you require. You asked:

• General/basic information such as; when and who it was designed by, when it was built and how long it took, how much it cost etc.

Please find the attached documents for general information about the footbridge.

Please note that in accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation some personal data has been removed, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions which would make the processing ‘fair’.

• More technical information such as maintenance works carried out, engineering design drawings, inspection reports etc. a 6 year time period from 2013 to 2019 would be enough. 

   

   

• Principal Inspection report of the bridge

However, in accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply full and in depth technical information, such as maintenance works carried out, engineering design drawings, inspection reports and detailed principal inspection reports as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under sections 24 and 38.

In this instance the exemptions have been applied as disclosure of the information you have requested could assist persons wishing to disrupt London’s transport infrastructure by placing into the public domain information which would otherwise not be available via any accessible means.

The current threat level in the UK remains serious, and there have been attacks and suspicious devices found recently at transport hubs, including bridges, in London. The detail provided in the reports you require could be used by persons with nefarious intentions. The reports contain detailed written summaries, structural drawings and photographs taken during inspections which provide significant detail as to the condition, material composition, structure, size and potential strengths and weaknesses that exist on the bridge. The reports also identify areas on the structure that are not easily visible that could be used as the location of an incendiary device. Provision of this information would reduce the opportunity for intervention as suspicious behaviour is more likely to be detected and apprehended if an individual cannot access information about security arrangements and structural information via the internet and instead has to physically visit a site in order to view and assess the security arrangements.

The Information Commissioner’s Office have issued a Decision Notice regarding the application of sections 24 and 38 to withhold information. Whilst the information requested in this case is different to the information you have requested we believe the same arguments can be applied:

https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2013536/fs50633090.pdf

The use of these exemptions are subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, and acknowledge that there is some public interest in this information from a public safety perspective. However, disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’. This information could potentially be obtained and utilised by individuals who may wish to use this information to cause disruption or harm to London’s transport infrastructure. In this instance, minimising the risk to transport infrastructure and protecting the welfare of members of the general public outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

However, as a student, and if you are able to visit our offices at Southwark, our Asset Operations team who maintain the inspection regime for TfL bridges can allow you to view further information with the proviso that no copies of any material shown can be taken away.  Your educational identification and full ID (Passport, ID Card or Driving Licence) would also need to be provided.

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

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Attachments

Back to top

---