Two stories this week highlight the usefulness of FOI for campaigners.
Poor air quality
A Greenwich mum is fighting for improved air quality after her three-year-old son was hospitalised and now relies on an inhaler twice a day.
Alice Potter, 37, moved to Charlton nearly five years ago with her partner and said that in the past two years, her family have experienced a variety of breathing difficulties.
The mum said she found out about Mums for Lungs after her son’s stay in hospital. The group campaigns to improve air quality in the UK for the benefit of young children.
A Freedom of Information request obtained by the group found that 1,481 children under five across the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust were admitted to hospital with respiratory difficulties last year.
Parking
Homeowners on Mill Road in Cambridge have been complaining about an alleged spate of anti-social parking since November.
The campaign group Mill Road 4 People furiously documents alleged instances of illegal parking and is pressing the council to take greater enforcement action.
According to a Freedom of Information Request, the council issued 301 tickets on the road last year but campaigners say not enough is being done.
Empty homes
Angus Council owns more than 7,500 homes. Those generate an annual rental income close to £30m. But there has been growing concern in number of empty council houses and the time they sit empty.
In 2019/20 the figure hit 983. That equated to £617k in lost rental income. But the following year, 770 voids cost the council £1.2m.
And the authority suffered another seven-figure loss the following year as a result of 915 voids. The average time properties sat without a tenant has varied between 85 and 142 days.
Private dentist
Figures obtained through a Scottish Labour freedom of information request show that at least 36,818 patients have left the NHS to opt for a private dental care plan since 2019.
The figures show a huge increase in just four years. In 2019 just 306 patients left for private care. But the number skyrocketed to 15,597 in 2021 and 13,990 in 2022.
Ignoring the signs
There has been more than 53,000 incidents of drivers ignoring lane closed signs on smart motorways since 2021, new research shows.
Since September 2022, all police forces have been able to use enforcement cameras to prosecute motorists who illegally pass under a red X or enter a lane beyond one of the signs. This can result in a fine of up to £100 and three penalty points, or more severe penalties and a court appearance in some cases.
Figures obtained by IAM RoadSmart following Freedom of Information requests to police forces revealed 4,393 incidents were recorded in 2021, rising to 20,773 in 2022 and 28,231 in 2023.
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