FOI release
FOIA 2000 – request for original report/referral and records
Case reference FOI2026/01110
Received 8 September 2026
Published 9 October 2026
Request
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 original report/referral giving rise to London Fire Brigade involvement and proposed fire safety audit I am writing to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA") concerning the London Fire Brigade's involvement with Cornwall Gardens, London, and in particular the information which caused or contributed to the Brigade initiating a fire safety audit of the premises. I have further been informed that the information cannot be disclosed to me outside the FOI process. I understand that a fire safety audit of the common parts of Cornwall Gardens is presently scheduled for 14 September 2026. This request is therefore directed principally at the source, content, provenance and handling of the information which caused the Brigade to become involved. ### Information requested Please provide copies of the following information held by the London Fire Brigade: 1. The original report / complaint / referral The complete original report, complaint, referral, notification, email, online submission, telephone record, case note or other communication by which the matter concerning Cornwall Gardens was first brought to the attention of the London Fire Brigade. This request includes the original document or communication in the form in which it was received, together with any attachments or accompanying material. 2. Subsequent information supplied by the reporter All documents, correspondence, emails, photographs, statements, attachments or other information subsequently supplied by the person or organisation responsible for the original report/referral. 3. The provenance of the referral Please provide the information held by LFB concerning: - the date and time on which the original report/referral was received; - the means by which it was received; - the department, team or individual who received it; - the LFB case/reference number allocated to it; - whether it was received directly from a member of the public, another public authority, a resident, a representative, a professional adviser or another organisation; - whether the source was known to LFB at the time the report was received; and - whether the source was represented to LFB as anonymous, confidential or otherwise subject to any restriction on disclosure. 4. Assessment and decision to initiate the audit Please provide copies of all records held by LFB concerning its assessment of the original report/referral and the decision to undertake an inspection, audit, investigation or other regulatory action at Cornwall Gardens. This includes, without limitation: - internal emails; - correspondence; - case-management records; - inspection/referral records; - contemporaneous notes; - risk assessments; - triage records; - officer notes; - records of telephone conversations; - meeting notes; and - communications between LFB officers concerning whether and how to investigate the allegations. 5. The substance of the allegations Please provide the information contained in the original report/referral describing the alleged fire-safety, building-safety or other regulatory concerns at Cornwall Gardens. I am specifically requesting the substance of the allegations, whether or not the identity of the person making them is considered disclosable. 6. Identity of the source If LFB holds information identifying the person who made the original report/referral, please confirm whether that information is being withheld and, if so, identify the statutory exemption relied upon. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not asking LFB to assume that the identity of the reporter is disclosable merely because I have requested it. If LFB considers that the identity constitutes third-party personal data which cannot lawfully be disclosed, then I request disclosure of the remainder of the report and associated records with only the relevant personal data redacted. 7. Communications with other authorities Please provide copies of communications relating to the original referral between LFB and any other public authority, including but not limited to: - Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; - London Borough or other local authority departments; - building control; - planning or conservation officers; - any other fire-safety or regulatory authority. This request is limited to communications concerning the information which triggered or contributed to LFB's involvement. 8. Records identifying the trigger for the audit Please provide any record which identifies or describes the reason why Cornwall Gardens was selected for inspection/audit, including any risk categorisation, referral category, prioritisation or other decision-making record. ### FOIA exemptions I recognise that the FOIA contains exemptions which may, in appropriate circumstances, apply to particular information. However, if LFB considers that any information requested above is exempt, please identify the precise statutory provision relied upon for each item or category of information withheld and explain how the exemption applies. Where an exemption is qualified, please carry out and disclose the required public-interest assessment. In particular, I do not accept that the mere fact that the information may relate to a regulatory or enforcement matter provides a blanket basis for withholding the entirety of the material. If LFB considers that section 31 FOIA applies, please identify the particular subsection relied upon and explain specifically what prejudice disclosure would be likely to cause. Please also conduct the statutory public-interest balancing exercise. Likewise, if reliance is placed upon section 40 FOIA, please distinguish between the identity or other personal data of a third party and the underlying factual information contained in the complaint or referral. I request that any personal data capable of being redacted be redacted rather than the substantive document being withheld in its entirety. ### Duty to disclose non-exempt information I expressly request that LFB provide all reasonably separable non-exempt information. Where a document contains exempt material, please redact only the exempt material and disclose the remainder. If LFB considers that any part of this request is too broad or otherwise requires clarification, please contact me before refusing the request and identify precisely what clarification would enable the information to be provided. ### Preservation of records Given that the requested information concerns the basis upon which a regulatory audit is being undertaken, please ensure that all relevant records are retained pending determination of this request and any subsequent internal review or Information Commissioner's Office investigation. This includes electronic correspondence, case-management records and other electronically stored material relevant to the original referral and its subsequent handling. ### Internal review If any information is withheld, please treat this letter as also requesting a sufficiently reasoned response enabling me to understand the basis for the withholding and, where appropriate, to seek an internal review. I reserve the right to request an internal review of any refusal or partial refusal and, thereafter, to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office. Finally, given that the proposed audit is scheduled for 14 September 2026, I would be grateful if you would process this request as promptly as practicable. Please provide the response and all disclosable documents electronically.
Response
Please see the response in the link below.
Documents
This is London Fire Brigade's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.