TfL Ref: FOI-4785-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 26th March 2024 asking for information about Broadmead Road Bridge, Woodford Green.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“As a Redbridge resident living some 3 miles from the bridge I am accutely aware of its current closure!
I have been told that TfL first wrote to Redbridge expressing concerns in 2014 - some 10 years ago. I am therefore requesting, under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, a copy of that letter and of any other relevant correspondence. As I do not use a printer it would be appreciated if hard copy could be sent to my address below."
I have been in liaison with relevant colleagues about the letter from 2014 but have been unable to locate a copy. Note that our standard retention policy for email correspondence is 7 years. Having carried out all reasonable searches, we can only conclude the requested information is no longer held. Regarding your request for “any other relevant correspondence”, I am afraid that this is too vague a request for us to fulfil within the costs limit for responding to FOI cases, as set under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. Under section 12, TfL is not required to provide information if it would cost more than £450 to determine if that information is held, and to then locate, retrieve or extract it from elsewhere. This is calculated at a rate of £25 per hour, equivalent to 18 hours work. If you wish to narrow to scope of your request we will consider it accordingly. For example, you may wish to stipulate a timeframe, and an indication of what is meant by “relevant correspondence” (for example, whether this just relates to correspondence between TfL and the local borough, or would other “correspondence” – such as internal correspondence – be included?). The narrower the scope of any such request the more likely it is that we will be able to respond positively within the costs limit.
I understand that TfL is awaiting a copy of the report for the Principal Inspection which was completed on site in January 2024 as well as any details of what the London Borough of Redbridge propose to do to the bridge next.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
