Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture
121 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) reveal an authority that is selectively transparent, often releasing historical or aggregate data while vigorously protecting current operational details, enforcement identities, and policy formulations. A clear pattern emerges regarding financial accountability: while the department disclosed a comprehensive list of 346 farmer payments for 2015 (355013), subsequent requests for similar granular data were frequently blocked as 'repeated' (914723) or redirected to public websites (462340). This suggests a reluctance to provide real-time financial scrutiny of agricultural subsidies, even as significant public funds, such as the £500,000 in meat plant subventions (355069), are acknowledged.
Key Cases
Case 355013 — A rare instance of full transparency where the department disclosed a list of 346 individual farmer payment amounts for 2015, setting a benchmark for financial openness that was not consistently maintained in later years.
Case 675466 — The release of the full 53-page investigation report into the Snaefell Mountain Railway runaway tram incident, overturning a previous refusal (563738) and demonstrating that safety data is eventually accessible once legal proceedings conclude.
Case 355047 — A complete refusal to disclose details of a planning enforcement complaint on Kella Road, citing confidential information and ongoing investigations, highlighting the department's strict protection of enforcement processes from public view.
Case 355057 — The withholding of heavy metal analysis and leachate results for Peel Marina under 'policy formulation' exemptions, raising concerns about the transparency of environmental risk assessments and waste management data.
Case 355035 — A request regarding Lorne House was deemed 'vexatious' after partial fulfillment, illustrating the department's use of resource burden arguments to halt persistent inquiries into specific planning or housing issues.
Related FOI Stories
The Meat Plant Saga: Funding, Tenders, and Safety — #355069, #355075, #355099, #355087, #625866
Planning Enforcement and Whistleblower Protection — #355047, #355079, #361141, #856665, #922953
Environmental Data: Leachate, Dredging, and Water Quality — #355045, #355057, #500235, #935114, #1165449
Agricultural Subsidies and Farmer Payments — #355013, #355063, #462340, #914723, #973789
Safety Incidents: Railways and Transport — #355051, #563738, #675466, #682066
All (121)
All information sent (121) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (90) ·
Information not held (71) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (52) ·
Some information sent but not all held (38) ·
Not upheld (22) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (16) ·
Not required to fulfill request (12) ·
Upheld - partial (6) ·
Repeated request (4) ·
Withdrawn (1) ·
Vexatious request (1) ·
Upheld - full (1) ·
Decision Notice - Complaint not upheld (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-24 | Enforcement of Section 57 Public Health Act 1990 | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for details on the enforcement of Section 57 of the Public Health Act 1990 regarding illegal waste deposit, including responsible authorities, internal guidance, and five-year statistics. The response confirms the request was received and processed, but the provided text cuts off before disclosing the specific enforcement details or statistics. | ||
| 2026-02-17 | Climate change transformation board | All information sent |
| The request sought membership details, meeting records, remuneration, and terms of reference for the Climate Change Transformation Board. The authority disclosed the full membership list, appointment dates, person specifications for advisors, and the revised terms of reference, though the provided text does not explicitly contain meeting attendance records or remuneration details. | ||
| 2026-02-05 | Interventions by Environmental Protection Unit for waste disposal | All information sent |
| The request sought confirmation of Environmental Protection Unit interventions regarding high-volume waste disposal risks and associated costs over the last 12-18 months. The Department confirmed two interventions involving commercial companies, violations of the Public Health Act 1990, and that while no direct taxpayer costs were incurred for waste removal, officer time was utilized. | ||
| 2025-07-17 | Advice to Douglas City Council - burial of post cremation metals | All information sent |
| The applicant requested details regarding DEFA's advice to Douglas City Council that a Waste Management Licence is not required for burying post-cremation metals. DEFA disclosed the relevant legislation consulted and specific extracts from the Cremation Regulations 2000, citing Section 20 to withhold full lists and extracts as they are publicly accessible. | ||
| 2025-05-15 | Snuff the wind | All information sent |
| The request sought data on the effectiveness of the 'Snuff the Wind' closure in reducing contamination in Peel Marina from the Cross Vein mine. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed monitoring results showing a significant reduction in heavy metal loads following the closure and remediation works. | ||
| 2025-04-30 | Documentation to confirm compliance with CCS - ADS statutes | All information sent |
| The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture provided full documentation confirming compliance with CCS-ADS statutes for numerous properties, responding to a request received in April 2025. The response included a detailed table listing application statuses across four schemes and inspection dates for over 150 properties. | ||
| 2025-04-10 | Net zero campaign | All information sent |
| The applicant requested analytics, feedback, and evaluation data for the Isle of Man's Net Zero Campaign from January 2022 to present. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture released most requested data via appendices and online links, though some demographic breakdowns were withheld as they were not held by the authority. | ||
| 2025-03-17 | Food Hygiene Inspection & Enforcement 2023 - 0 & 1 Rated Premises | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man's Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for details on food hygiene inspections and enforcement actions for premises rated 0 or 1 between January and June 2023. The authority responded by disclosing a full list of 19 establishments, their inspection dates, ratings, and the specific enforcement actions taken against them. | ||
| 2025-02-19 | Pollution in Port Erin | All information sent |
| The requester inquired about charges brought against companies involved in the demolition of the Marine Biological Station following pollution incidents in Port Erin Bay. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that no charges were brought against any of the companies involved. | ||
| 2025-01-30 | Tourist accommodation | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of private properties granted additional or change of use for tourist accommodation over the last five years. The authority could not provide the exact data due to recording limitations but supplied the total number of applications containing the word 'tourist' for each year. | ||
| 2024-11-21 | Food premises prosecuted, fined or warned over food hygiene breaches | All information sent |
| The request sought data on food hygiene inspections, breaches, prosecutions, fines, and warnings for Isle of Man premises between January 2022 and October 2024. The authority provided a breakdown of 270 inspections and details on warnings issued, but refused to provide specific breach statistics due to the substantial compilation required, while confirming zero prosecutions and fines. | ||
| 2024-07-16 | Plantation Catering Van Applications | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture regarding catering van applications at plantations, resulting in the disclosure of application counts, contract durations, and trading status. The authority confirmed that no future plans exist for installing public toilets in the plantations. | ||
| 2024-05-30 | MHO's (Houses in Multiple Occupation) | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of registered Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), their locations by sheading, and total room counts on the Isle of Man. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed that 20 HMOs are registered across three local authorities with a total of 210 rooms. | ||
| 2024-05-03 | Free press: DEFA payments for media coverage | All information sent |
| The request sought details of DEFA payments for sponsored newspaper articles over five financial years to ensure press scrutiny. The authority disclosed that no payments were made in 2019-2020, but provided specific amounts and article titles for the IOM Examiner and IOM Courier for the subsequent four years. | ||
| 2024-02-26 | Fouling | All information sent |
| 2023-09-26 | Wool clip contract | All information sent |
| 2023-08-25 | The uplands strategy steering group report | All information sent |
| 2023-08-17 | Planning - Major Application Process | All information sent |
| 2023-08-07 | Planning enforcement | All information sent |
| 2023-07-27 | AGRICULTURE TEAM | All information sent |
| 2023-07-24 | 2017 Structural Assessment 7/8 The Promenade, Castletown, IM9 1BJ | All information sent |
| 2023-07-24 | Bee holdings | All information sent |
| 2023-07-20 | Ramsey Courthouse K8 Phonebox Correspondence | All information sent |
| 2023-07-19 | Asbestos in IOM Schools | All information sent |
| 2023-07-04 | Data Related to the Isle of Man Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021 | All information sent |
| 2023-05-29 | Staffing cover for FPV Barrule | All information sent |
| 2022-11-09 | FPV owned by DEFA | All information sent |
| 2022-11-03 | Near miss - FPV Barrule | All information sent |
| 2022-10-24 | Climate Change Transformation Team | All information sent |
| 2022-10-18 | Suspected Breach of Planning Control 21/00113/PRDEV | All information sent |
| 2022-10-04 | Agri-Environment Scheme claims | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for statistics on successful Agri-Environment Scheme claims for new dubs and scrapes, including planning approval requirements. The authority disclosed that there were 2 successful claims for dubs and 1 for scrapes, with specific details on the planning evidence submitted for each. | ||
| 2022-10-04 | FOI Requests and Responses | All information sent |
| The requester asked for hyperlinks to all previous FOI responses from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture since 2015. Although the department initially stated it did not hold this specific data, it voluntarily created and provided a list of 16 hyperlinks to published responses, noting one case was withheld from publication due to personal information. | ||
| 2022-09-27 | Two energy doctors | All information sent |
| The requester asked the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture about the employment status, current hiring status, and required qualifications for two proposed 'energy doctors'. The authority confirmed the roles will be contract-based, no one has been hired yet, and specified that training will be provided alongside desirable experience in energy management or DIY. | ||
| 2022-09-21 | Glen Wylin Campsite | All information sent |
| The requester sought a copy of the lease agreement between the Forestry Board and Glen Wylin Campsite to understand the legality of seasonal campers being asked to vacate. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture provided the requested document with personal information redacted. | ||
| 2022-09-12 | Food and Drink Festival | All information sent |
| The requester asked for all records regarding the consideration of postponing or cancelling the 2022 Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded by sending all requested information, including emails and Microsoft Teams messages. | ||
| 2022-08-15 | Ramsey Swing Bridge | All information sent |
| A request was made for correspondence and reports regarding the Ramsey Swing Bridge and its potential addition to the Protected Buildings Register. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responded by releasing all requested information. | ||
| 2022-06-01 | Greenwashing | All information sent |
| The requester asked for all emails containing variations of the term 'greenwash' within the Environment and Agriculture & Land areas of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture between January 2021 and June 2022. The authority released the requested information with redactions applied to personal data. | ||
| 2022-05-26 | Protected Building Registration of Former Newson's Trading Building | All information sent |
| 2022-05-04 | Licence Information in relation to Coach House Kennels and Cattery | All information sent |
| The request sought licence details for Coach House Kennels and Cattery, including animal capacity and operational conditions. The authority disclosed the specific number of dogs and cats licensed for boarding, clarified that reptiles do not require a licence, and noted that dog daycare is unregulated. | ||
| 2022-04-04 | Sulby Claddaghs | All information sent |
| The request sought financial data regarding third-party payments for management and maintenance, plus income from the permit system for Sulby Claddaghs over five years. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed the specific figures for 2017-2021 but noted that some costs were not itemized due to estate-wide contracts. | ||
| 2022-03-24 | Agriculture environment scheme | All information sent |
| The requester asked when the application forms for the Agriculture environment scheme were released. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that the forms were released on 1st April 2021. | ||
| 2022-02-23 | planning application 21/00694/B | All information sent |
| 2022-02-21 | Planning Applications | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of rejected renewable energy planning applications on private land since January 2018. The authority responded that most decisions are made at officer level and provided limited search results, noting only one refused solar application and one approved wind application. | ||
| 2022-02-15 | Total area registered under the Agricultural Development Scheme. | All information sent |
| The request sought the number of active farmers and total registered acreage under the Agricultural Development Scheme for the period April 2021 to April 2022, categorized by eligibility and location relative to the mountain line. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed all requested information, providing specific counts and acreage figures. | ||
| 2022-02-07 | DEFA staff wanting to work for WWF | All information sent |
| A request was made for records of DEFA staff accessing specific WWF recruitment URLs on departmental computers. The authority responded that no staff members had accessed these URLs prior to the request. | ||
| 2022-01-17 | Tree felling licences | All information sent |
| A request was made for a list of tree felling licences granted in the last 10 years, including publication and objection statistics. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed a partial list of licences from 2017 to early 2019, primarily covering the Arbory and Rushen parishes, but did not provide the specific aggregate statistics requested regarding newspaper publications or written representations. | ||
| 2021-12-06 | Conditions on Planning approval 17/01083/B | All information sent |
| The requester asked if specific planning conditions for approval 17/01083/B regarding architectural details and roof slate samples had been met. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that the conditions have not been met because no plans were submitted and no notification of work commencement was received. | ||
| 2021-12-06 | Ramsey Harbour ASSI | All information sent |
| The requester asked for full designation documents and maps for the de-notified Ramsey Harbour ASSI, and the authority confirmed that all information was sent while providing a detailed ministerial statement explaining the decision to de-notify the site. | ||
| 2021-11-19 | Planning Certificate for Sandygate House & Garage | All information sent |
| The requester sought planning certificates and completion documents for Sandygate House and Garage from 2012 onwards, citing concerns over drainage damage and non-compliant window glass. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that all requested information was sent on December 16, 2021. | ||
| 2021-11-11 | Waste & Environmental Monitoring reports for Turkeylands | All information sent |
| The requester asked for all waste and environmental monitoring reports for the Turkeylands landfill facilities, and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed all requested information. | ||
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