FOI 66-26: A request for Information in relation to Blakiston Houston Estates held by the Assembly Commission
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our ref: FOI 66-26
30 September 2026
Freedom of Information Act 2000
I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 8 September 2026 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR). In your request, you asked:
“Please treat this request under the [FOIA] and, insofar as any of the requested information constitutes environmental information, under the [EIR].
For the purposes of this request, references to “Blakiston Houston” should include Blakiston Houston Estate Company Limited, BH Estates, Jack Blakiston Houston / John Peregrine Blakiston Houston, and representatives acting on behalf of the company.
I request the following recorded information:
1. Arrangements for the 26 June 2025 visit
Please provide correspondence, emails, meeting notes or other records showing:
- who first proposed or requested the visit to Blakiston Houston Estates;
- the date on which the visit was first proposed;
- the purpose/objectives given for the visit;
- correspondence between Assembly/AERA Committee officials and Blakiston Houston concerning its organisation; and
- the names and roles of those who attended on behalf of the Assembly, Committee, DAERA and Blakiston Houston.
2. Briefing and material provided to Committee members
Please provide copies of any:
- briefing papers;
- agendas or itineraries;
- presentations;
- handouts;
- reports;
- correspondence; or
- other material
- provided to AERA Committee members before, during or following the visit.
3. Planning application LA05/2025/0400/F
Please provide any records held by the Assembly which refer to or discuss:
- planning application LA05/2025/0400/F;
- the proposed Class B3 anaerobic digestate/digestate management facility at Carrowreagh Road;
- the planning status of the proposed development;
- Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council in connection with the proposed development; or
- the need for planning permission, planning support or representations concerning that application.
- This should include references contained in emails, briefing notes, meeting notes, presentations or follow-up correspondence relating to the visit.
4. Expressions of support or assistance
Please provide any recorded information showing whether, during or following the visit, the AERA Committee collectively or any individual Committee member:
- expressed support for the proposed digestate management facility;
- offered to support, assist or make representations regarding the development;
- offered to raise the matter with DAERA, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, the Planning Service, a Minister or any other public body;
- subsequently made any such representation or communication; or
- was asked by Blakiston Houston or its representatives to provide political, departmental or planning support for the development.
- If no such recorded information is held, I would be grateful if this could be expressly confirmed.
5. Follow-up communications
Please provide correspondence or other recorded communications following the 26 June 2025 visit between:
- the AERA Committee or Committee staff and Blakiston Houston;
- Committee members and DAERA concerning Blakiston Houston;
- Committee members and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council concerning Blakiston Houston or LA05/2025/0400/F; and
- Committee staff and any Ministerial or departmental office concerning the proposed development.
6. Interests, hospitality and conflicts
Please provide any recorded information concerning:
- declarations or consideration of potential conflicts of interest associated with the visit;
- hospitality, meals, gifts, transport or other benefits provided during the visit;
- consideration of whether any such hospitality required registration; and
- any record of costs or expenses met by Blakiston Houston in connection with the visit.
7. Further engagement during 2026
Please confirm whether the AERA Committee, its Chair, Deputy Chair, Committee members or Committee staff undertook any further visit to, meeting with, or formal engagement with Blakiston Houston Estate Company/BH Estates between 1 January 2026 and 31 August 2026.
If so, please provide:
- the date and purpose of each engagement;
- attendees;
- correspondence arranging it;
- briefing material;
- notes/minutes;
- material supplied by Blakiston Houston; and
- any references to LA05/2025/0400/F or the proposed digestate management facility.
For items 1–6, I am primarily seeking records covering the period 1 May 2025 to 31 December 2025, together with any later correspondence which directly follows from the 26 June 2025 visit or concerns LA05/2025/0400/F.”
Our response
The Assembly Commission holds some information in relation to your request, however some details are exempt from disclosure under section 40 of the FOIA and regulation 13 of the EIR. This is explained in the closing paragraph of this section of the correspondence.
1. Arrangements for the 26 June 2025 visit
Appendix A, Document 1, shows that the Minister proposed the meeting on 31 March 2025; that the objectives given were for the Committee to hear about the Farm2Export Project and the process of livestock slurry separation that Blakiston Houston Estates and their consortium partners are developing.
Appendix A, Document 2, shows that the Committee accepted this invitation at its meeting of 3 April 2025.
Appendix A, Document 3, shows that the Committee agreed to 26 June 2025 as the meeting date.
Appendix A, Document 4, shows the agreement of the organisation of the visit, including a tour of the facilities, presentations and lunch provided by Blakiston Houston Estates.
Committee Members who attended the visit were: Robbie Butler MLA (Committee Chair), Declan McAleer MLA (Deputy Chair), William Irwin MLA, Tom Buchanan MLA, Michelle McIlveen MLA and Patsy McGlone MLA. Also attending were, Dr Janice Thompson (Committee Clerk), the Committee staff team, two research officers from the Assembly’s Research and Information Service, two DAERA officers plus Blakiston Houston Estates staff.
2. Briefing and material provided to Committee members
Appendix A, Document 5, shows the presentation that was made by Blakiston Houston Estates to the AERA Committee on the 26 June 2025. No other presentations, handouts, reports, correspondence or other material was provided to AERA Committee Members before, during or following the visit.
3. Planning application LA05/2025/0400/F
No records relating to planning application LA05/2025/0400/F are held by the Assembly Commission.
4. Expressions of support or assistance
No such recorded information is held by the Assembly Commission. Individual Committee Members may have asked oral or written questions in the Chamber on these issues. These records can be searched using this link.
5. Follow-up communications
Appendix A, Document 6, is a letter of thanks from Blakiston Houston Estates to the Committee There is no further follow up communication held by the Assembly Commission.
6. Interests, hospitality and conflicts
Appendix A, Document 4 shows the agreement of the organisation of the visit, including the offer of lunch from Blakiston Houston Estates. The Committee clerk confirmed that lunch was sandwiches provided in a portacabin on site for everyone involved in the visit. No other hospitality, gifts or benefits were offered or provided.
The Assembly does not hold records of costs or expenses met by Blakiston Houston in connection with the visit.
There were no declarations of interest regarding the visit. William Irwin MLA declared an interest as a partner in a farm business at the formal meeting.
7. Further engagement during 2026
The AERA Committee held a roundtable stakeholder event on Anaerobic Digestion – Opportunities and Challenges for NI and a representative from Blakiston Houston Estates attended that event as a participant. A note of the discussions can be seen at this link –Anaerobic Digestion - Stakeholder Roundtable Event. Planning issues were discussed as a general issue at the event at a number of the tables.
Exempt information within Appendix A
Section 40(2) of the FOIA provides that information is exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject and satisfies one of three conditions. The Assembly Commission is satisfied that one such condition is satisfied. It is not therefore necessary to consider the other potentially applicable conditions. The relevant condition is set out at section 40(3A) (a) of the FOIA and is that "disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act…would contravene any of the data protection principles…”. The same test is found at regulation 13(1)(a) of the EIR read with regulation 13(2A).
The data protection principles are set out at Article 5 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The first principle is that processing of personal data must be fair, lawful and transparent. Processing is ‘lawful’ under the first principle if it satisfies one or more of the conditions at Article 6 of the UK GDPR.
Further Information
You may request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.
Yours sincerely,
INFORMATION STANDARDS
