What does it stand for? What even is an F.O.I Request? Let's get the jargon out of the way and make sense of it! F.O.I stands for Freedom on Information. As a member of the public you have the right to ask questions to your local Council and this can be about anything. This only applies to Public authorisites such as your local Council. Once you have submitted your F.O.I request they have a legal obligation to respond to your request. I would recommend sending a F.O.I when you have exhausted all means to get the information such as from online research, your local library or your local councillors.
The easiest way to submit a F.O.I request is via the online form on the Exeter City Council's website as per below:
The fom is fairly standard and once you have put your request the page will update and give you a F.O.I reference. This will be in the format of FS-Case-123456789. You will also receive an email and due to the nature of the content it may end up as spam or junk - so be wary of this. Officially they have 22 working days to respond. Don't expect to get all of the answers as in many cases the Exeter City Council don't have this due to poor record keeping. Also, if the processing time takes 'too' long they will not action the request. From my own personal experiecne it is better to send several smaller requests as you are more likely to get the information you want. So for example:
Question: May I please have a list of an up to date list of all of the trees that have been felled in parks and green spaces that are managed by the Exeter City Council.
Likely response: This will take too long so we can't provide this information.
Rephrased Question: May I please have an up to date list of all of the trees that have been felled in the St Thomas Pleasure grounds park which is managed by the Exeter City Council.
Likely response: Yes - here is a known list of the trees as requested
Please note the above is only an example. I would strongly advise that you keep any F.O.I request as simple and straight forward as possible. Think about the question(s) and if you feel it's a fairly big request then break it down into several smaller requests.
Below is a list of the F.O.I requests that I have submitted to the Exeter City Council. Please feel free to comment on the Blog. Do not send large amounts of FOI requests at the same time. The team at the council will almost certainly reject these. Their excuse will be it's too time consuming - or something like that. 
F.O.I REQUESTS
07/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Hamlin Lane Playing Fields. Case ref: 470428019​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Haccombe Close Play Area. Case ref: 469197087​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Greenway Play Area​. Case ref: 469196793​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Great Hill View Play Area​. Case ref: 469196521​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Gras Lawn Play Area Area​. Case ref: 469196255​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Grandisson Court Play Area​. Case ref: 469195728​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Gloucester Road Play Area​. Case ref: 469195386​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Gate Meadow Play Area​. Case ref: 469194023​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Flowerpot Playing Field (Playing Field)​. Case ref: 469193474​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Fleming Way Play Area​. Case ref: 469193094​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Exwick Station Road Play Area​. Case ref: 469192761​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Exwick Playing Field Playing Field​. Case ref: 469192274​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Exhibition Fields Playing Field​. Case ref: 469192046​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Dickens Drive Play Area​. Case ref: 469191386​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Devonshire Place Play Area​. Case ref: 469191114​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Cowick Barton Playing Field Play Area​. Case ref: 469190636​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Clyst Heath Play Area​. Case ref: 469190247​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Chestnut Avenue Play Area​. Case ref: 469189897​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Chaucer Grove Play Area​. Case ref: 469189591​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Chantry Meadow Play Area Children's Play Area​. Case ref: 469189059​​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
01/12/2022 - List of trees and data at Cemetery Field Play Area Children's Play Area​. Case ref: 469182627​​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Bury Meadow Play Area Children's Play Area​. Case ref: 468935059​​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Burrator Drive Play Area Children's Play Area​. Case ref: 468934696​​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Bull Meadow Play Area Children's Play Area. Case ref: 468934179​​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Bull Meadow Park. Case ref: 468933664​​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Bromhams Farm Playing Field Playing Field. Case ref: 468932970​​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Bettysmead Playing Field Playing Field. Case ref: 468932548​​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Belmont Park Play Area Children's Play Area. Case ref: 468930816​​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Belmont Park Park. Case ref: 468930053​​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Arena Skatepark Children's Play Area. Case ref: 468929364​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Arena Park Play Area Children's Play Area. Case ref: 468928878​​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Anne Close Play Area Children's Play Area. Case ref: 468928241​​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Alphington Playing (Play area). Case ref: 468923861​. REJECTED
30/11/2022 - List of trees and data at Alphington Playing (Playing Field). Case ref: 468915685. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Mulberry Close Play area. Case ref: 466537074. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Hamlin Lane PF & Georges Close Play Area. Case ref 466536764. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at the Higher Cemetery & size. Case ref: 466536490. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Pinces Gardens & size of park. Case ref: 466536260. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at St Bartholomew's Cemetery & size . Case ref: 466528258. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Heavitree Park & size of park. Case ref: 466528036. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Rougemount Gardens & size of park. Case ref: 466527783. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Northernhay Gardens & size of park. Case ref: 466525698. REJECTED
19/11/2022 - List of trees at Belle Isle Park & size of park. Case ref: 466525022. REJECTED
17/10/2022 - List of trees at Bury Meadow Park (Oct 2022). Case ref: 459266308. Please click here for the Blog.
16/10/2022 - Removal of Red Horse Chestnut tree at Southernhay Gardens (Oct 2022). Case ref: 458997423. Please click here for the Blog.
16/10/2022 - Removal of Large Sycamore at Southernhay Gardens (Oct 2022). Case ref: 458996948. Please click here for the Blog.
10/10/2022 - List of trees at Exwick Cemetery (Oct 2022). Case ref: 457731170. Please click here for the Blog.
03/10/2022 - STPG0087 Birch tree cut down at St Thomas Pleasure Grounds. Case ref: 456128961. Please click here for the Blog.
08/08/2022 - List of trees at Cowick Barton Playing Fields. Case ref: 442986310. Please click here for the Blog.
04/07/2022 - Weeping willow at Exe Bridges greatly reduced. Case ref: 13126336. Please click here for the Blog.
28/06/2022 - Request for a list of trees at St Thomas Pleasure Grounds. Case ref: 433040825. Click here for the Blog.
17/12/2021 - Size of Cowick Barton Playing Fields. Case ref: 386182549. Click here for the Blog.
01/01/2021 - Elm tree along Western Way. Case ref: 290206579. Click here for the Blog.
20/11/2020 - List of all trees with TPO's that have been removed in relation to any planning . Case ref: 274778117. Click here for the Blog.
27/10/2020 - Riverside Leisure Center - Tree removal query. Case ref: 255250633. Click here for the Blog.
27/08/2020 - Canopy cover query - Land Off Ikea Way Ikea Way Exeter Devon. Case ref: 254286278. Click here for the Blog.
25/07/2020 - Large leaf lime tree along Cowick lane. Case ref: 10301092. Click here for the Blog.
10/07/2020 - Harlequin Centre Paul Street Exeter Devon EX4 3TT.  Case ref: 226777597. Click here for the Blog.
22/07/2019 - List of all of the current ECC parks and green spaces. Case ref: 132101150. Click her for the Blog.