'Council officers must find missing emails', judge rules (From Your Local Guardian)

'Lambeth Council officers must find missing railway depot emails', judge rules

8:35am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Streatham By Rachel Blundy

The hunt for missing emails relating to a controversial railway depot development must be resumed, a judge has said.

Senior officers at Lambeth Council failed to uncover the emails following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request about the works at Streatham Hill sidings, a tribunal at the Royal Courts of Justice heard last week.

Jeremy Clyne, councillor for Streatham Hill ward, submitted the FoI after an officer in the council’s planning department redrafted the final report about the development, which had been drawn up by an independent railway expert.

In November 2010, residents lost their five-year battle with Southern Rail to remove parts of a 300m cleaning and maintenance depot, which had been built without permission.

The council said it had secured a planning contribution of £650,000 from the railway operator to soundproof affected homes.

Judge Fiona Henderson said any information about the development, which has not yet been uncovered must be produced by the end of this month.

A follow-up hearing has been scheduled for March 15. Coun Clyne said he was pleased with the tribunals provisional ruling, adding there should be openness and transparency.

He said: “I have said all along that documents and records of communications must exist.”