Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Herefordshire Council

This is a disclosure log of Herefordshire Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, you can make a new FOI request.

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2,481 disclosures

  1. Section 106 monies spent in Ledbury since 2015.

    I am trying to find out where section 106 money has been spent on sport in Ledbury since 2015. Are you able to provide me what grants and 106 monies have been supplied to Rugby, Cricket and Football?

    Published: 4 July 2025

  2. Loss of Bodenham village stream

    Loss of stream in Bodenham village HR1 3JU Balfour Beatty advised asking for an answer to what is being done to restore the stream which disappeared after BB doing work there. Mark Watkins, the drainage engineer, knows exactly where it is and Balfour Beatty's Enquiry No.is 1179724 identified it as a defect scheduled for repair. I have W3W's for you if needed but BB know exactly where they jetted the gullies and allowed a resident to interfere and a pipe was smashed. It is lamentable that an historic feature has been treated so badly.

    Published: 4 July 2025

  3. Illegal/Counterfeit Tobacco/Cigarettes Seizures and Prosecutions

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request information regarding the seizure of illegal/counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes within the jurisdiction of Herefordshire Council and subsequent prosecutions initiated by the trading standards officers.

    Specifically, I request the following information for each of the past five years, starting from January 1, 2019:

    1. Seizure Data:

    * The total quantity of illegal/counterfeit tobacco (e.g., number of cigarettes, kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco, or other relevant measures) seized by trading standards officers each year.

    * The total number of instances (i.e., separate occasions) of such seizures each year.

    2. Prosecutions:

    * The number of prosecutions launched by trading standards against sellers of illegal/counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes each year.

    * The number of successful prosecutions each year.

    * The number of unsuccessful prosecutions each year.

    If possible, please provide the data in a structured format (e.g., spreadsheet or table) and clarify any definitions used for "cases" or "illegal tobacco products" (e.g., counterfeit, smuggled, or non-compliant products). If certain data is unavailable or incomplete, please provide what is available and note any limitations.

    Published: 3 July 2025

  4. Attacks on refuse workers in 2024/25

    1. In the last financial year 2024/25 how many incidents did your authority record where refuse collectors were physically assaulted by members of the public while carrying out council duties? Please give a brief description of the circumstances of the incident.

    NOTE: By refuse collectors I mean all employees whose main duties are involved in the collection of rubbish (all types) from homes and businesses with your authority.

    NOTE: If the refuse collection duties are carried out by a third party company hired by the council the information is still HELD by the council, because it is information held on your behalf.

    Published: 3 July 2025

  5. Early Years Expansion Grant and the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant funding

    FOI request – Early Years Expansion Grant (£75 million) and the Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).

    Early Years Expansion Grant - £75 million

    The government announced £75 million in additional funding to local authorities in 2025 to 2026 to support early years providers as they deliver the final phase of expansion to the working parent entitlements from September 2025. This funding will be distributed via the early years expansion grant which will be paid to local authorities in July 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-expansion-grant-2025-to-2026

    1. How much in (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Early years expansion grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?

    2. What % of your distribution to date has gone to the following types of providers?

    a. Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) including Childminders

    b. Maintained settings including School Based Nurseries and maintained nursery schools

    3. Please give any information about how you have distributed the early years expansion grant:

    a. Distributed your total allocation between providers as a flat rate per-PTE, according to the number of 2-year-olds and under 2s taking up the early education entitlements in settings.

    b. Used your local 2-year-old and under 2s local funding formulae to determine provider-level funding.

    c. Developed a bespoke approach tailored to support specific growth needs in your area. If your answer to question 3 is C please provide information about the bespoke distribution approach.

    4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No

    If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?

    Childcare expansion capital grant funding (£100 million).

    The government announced £100m of capital support through the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant in autumn 2023. The fund was to support the provision of new places to support the expansion of: • 30-hours entitlement places for children aged 9-months to 3-year-olds • wraparound provision for primary school aged children https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childcare-expansion-capital-grant-funding

    1. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to any eligible recipients?

    2. How much (in £) of your local authority’s allocation under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant scheme has been distributed to:

    a. Private, Voluntary or Independent (PVI) providers in the early years sector

    b. School based settings

    c. Local authority infrastructure projects

    3. Please provide a % breakdown of the distributed funds under the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant that has been spent between:

    a. Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents.

    b. Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children.

    4. Do you plan to distribute all your distribution grant fund before the end of August 2025? Yes/No

    If No how much do you estimate will remain to be distributed?

    Published: 3 July 2025

  6. Information held on Engine Idling

    1 - Whether the council maintains records of public complaints or reports of engine idling.

    2 - How many reports or complaints about engine idling have been made, broken down monthly from January 2020 to the most recent month in 2025?

    3 - The number of fines issued for engine idling offences, broken down monthly for each calendar year from January 2020 to the most recent month in 2025.

    4 - The total revenue generated from these fines, also provided as a monthly breakdown for the same period.

    5 - The number of verbal or written warnings issued for engine idling, broken down monthly from January 2020 to the most recent month in 2025.

    6 - The location or street name/postcode where each fine or warning was issued, if available.

    7 - The current fixed penalty amount for engine idling offences.

    8 - Whether the council operates any designated “anti-idling zones” (e.g., around schools, hospitals, or town centres). If so, please provide a list of these zones.

    9 - Whether the council has a specific enforcement policy or procedure for engine idling (e.g., how long a vehicle must idle before action is taken, whether a warning is required first, what evidence is needed, etc.).

    10 - Whether civil enforcement officers or other staff are authorised to issue engine idling fines. If so, how many currently hold this authority?

    11 - The minimum idling time required before a fine or warning can be issued (e.g., 1 minute, 2 minutes).

    12 - The number of engine idling fines that have been appealed, cancelled, or remain unpaid, broken down monthly from January 2020 to the most recent month in 2025.

    13 - Whether the council has considered or implemented a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) or any similar legal instrument to support engine idling enforcement.

    Published: 3 July 2025

  7. Information on PAN's in Herefordshire

    I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    As you will be aware, under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places in their area. In line with this, local authorities play a key coordinating role in the annual Published Admissions Number (PAN) consultation process, including facilitating consultation and communication with admission authorities across their area under the School Admissions Code (DfE, 2021).

    In light of this, I am requesting:

    ________________________________________

    1. PAN Consultation Document

    A copy of the Published Admissions Number (PAN) consultation document for school admissions in the academic year 2026/27 co-ordinated or issued by the local authority on behalf of schools.

    ________________________________________

    2. Meeting Minutes or Papers

    Copies of any meeting agendas, minutes, notes, or briefing documents from internal or external meetings where PANs for 2026/27 were discussed, revised, or approved.

    This includes any documentation from:

    • Education or school planning teams

    • School place planning boards or panels

    • Cabinet or committee discussions

    ________________________________________

    3. Correspondence with Schools

    Copies of emails, letters, or briefings sent to schools within the local authority relating to:

    • The PAN consultation process for 2026/27

    • Any proposed or confirmed changes to PANs

    • Requests for school views, responses, or feedback

    ________________________________________

    Published: 3 July 2025

  8. EHCP & SEN plans in Herefordshire

    The information concerns parental responsibility measures in the 2023/24 academic year, based on figures provided by local authorities in the parental responsibility measures attendance census (referred to henceforth as “the census”). My request relates directly to the figures provided by the council in response to this census, and subsequently published by the Department for Education.

    1. Of the 21,913 pupil enrolments in academic year 2023/24 submitted in response to the census, how many pupils had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and/or SEN support short of an EHCP?

    2. Of the 21,913 pupil enrolments in academic year 2023/24 submitted in response to the census, how many pupils had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

    3. Of the 927 penalty notices issued in relation to school attendance in 2023/24, how many were in relation to pupils who had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and/or SEN support short of an EHCP?

    4. Of the 927 penalty notices issued in relation to school attendance in 2023/24, how many were in relation to pupils who had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

    5. Of the 17 penalty notices issued in relation to school attendance for reasons other than holidays or lateness in 2023/24, how many were in relation to pupils who had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and/or SEN support short of an EHCP?

    6. Of the 17 penalty notices issued in relation to school attendance for reasons other than holidays or lateness in 2023/24, how many were in relation to pupils who had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)? Some of these questions concern “EHCP and/or SEN support short of an EHCP”, while others concern just EHCPs.

    This is in case the council does not record the requested information in relation to “SEN support short of an EHCP”. If the information for any question is not recorded in an available manner, please mark that question as “information not held” and process the remainder of the request.

    Published: 3 July 2025

  9. Illegal goods seized from shops in financial years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025

    I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

    1. How many shops has your council’s Trading Standards team seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vaping products from in the individual financial years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025?

    If possible please break this down by:

    a. Estimated value in Pound Sterling of items seized

    CLARIFICATION: Retail value please.

    b. Total number of items seized

    c. Product type seized (cigarettes, vapes, other vaping products such as e-liquids, rolling tobacco or other)

    d. Type of shop (e.g. mini mart, vape shop, barber, car wash)

    2. How many shops have been shut in your local authority due to seizures of illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vapes in the individual financial years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25?

    Within each financial year, please break this down by:

    a. Temporary closures

    b. Permanent closures (Please indicate whether your Trading Standards body has the power to permanently close shops. If not, please indicate who does have this power and if you hold information on these figures.)

    c. Number of times the same shop has been closed due to the above. Please indicate whether the most recent closure was permanent or temporary.

    Published: 2 July 2025

  10. Late payments to suppliers

    Thank you for your internal review decision and your offer to disclose the requested data for Question 1, excluding the one supplier that would exceed the statutory cost threshold.

    I confirm that I would like to proceed with this refined request. Please treat this as a new FOI request and provide the relevant data accordingly.

    ORIGINAL QUESTION:

    Requested Information: For the period covering the last 6 years from the date of this request, please provide the following:

    1. A complete list of all suppliers, contractors, and sub-contractors who have received late payments beyond agreed terms.

    For each entry, where available, please include:

    • Business name

    • Business address

    • Contact email (where non-personal and appropriate)

    • Invoice number(s)

    • Invoice issue date(s)

    • Payment due date(s)

    • Actual payment date(s)

    • Invoice amount

    • Number of days late (if applicable)

    • Whether statutory late payment interest and/or fixed compensation was applied

    Published: 2 July 2025