Freedom of Information Request - Muirburn Licences River South Esk
Date: 14 October 2024
Our ref: SIR177277/A4776676
Information Request – Muirburn Licences River South Esk
Your Request
I am a University of Glasgow student completing my dissertation on flooding in Brechin and would like to know more about Muirburn. If possible, could I please know how many muirburn licences have been granted in the last 5 years along the River South Esk (showing location and when the licence was granted).
Our Response
We have discussed your request with our Licensing Team. At present NatureScot only issue licences for out-of-season muirburn, which runs between the 1 October and 15 April. Since the 1 January 2019, NatureScot have only issued five muirburn licences, and two of these were amendments to current licences, none of the licences were issued for the Angus local authority area.
As we do not hold the information that you are specifically asked for within your request we must apply, under the EIRs, the following exemption 10(4)(a) – Information not held to your request.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
