Artwork Owned by Council
Case reference FOI2026/01359
Received 11 June 2026
Published 9 July 2026
Request
As a freedom on information request, provide the following information:
1. The number of artworks owned by your local authority as of 1 April 2026 or the most recent available date.
2. The number of artwork owned by your local authority that is on public display as of 1 April 2026 or the most recent available date
3. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, the number of artworks disposed of, split by whether it was sold, donated, destroyed or other? If possible, please list the artworks sold.
4. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, list the income from artworks sold?
5. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, provide the number of artworks acquired (including purchases or donations, if recorded). If possible, please list the artworks acquired.
6. If held, the most recent estimated total value of the authority’s artwork collection (if available provide the value for insurance purposes rather than assumed value).
7.If possible within the cost restraints of this request, please provide a list of artwork owned by the council.
Response
As a freedom on information request, provide the following information:
1. The number of artworks owned by your local authority as of 1 April 2026 or the most recent available date.
Answer: The authority holds records of artworks within its museum collections database. However, this database primarily does not comprehensively include artworks held across all council services and sites. Based on the museum collections database, the authority holds approximately 4,230 artworks as of June 2026.
2. The number of artwork owned by your local authority that is on public display as of 1 April 2026 or the most recent available date.
Answer: This information is not held in a form that would enable it to be located, retrieved and extracted within the Appropriate Time Limit which equates to 18 hours as defined by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004.
The authority does not maintain a single, up to date figure for artworks on public display across all council sites. The main museum and art gallery have also been closed for refurbishment during the period in question, which has significantly affected the number of artworks currently on display. While some information exists within internal systems, identifying an accurate total would require a manual review across multiple sites and records Approximately 20+ sites would need to be individually reviewed, with each requiring time for travel and on-site identification of artworks. Even using a conservative estimate of time per site, this would be likely to result in a total time requirement of in excess of 35 hours.
Where the Limit is exceeded Public Authorities are not obliged to supply the information requested by virtue of S12 of the Act. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
3. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, the number of artworks disposed of, split by whether it was sold, donated, destroyed or other? If possible, please list the artworks sold.
Answer: The authority confirms that no artworks recorded within its collection have been disposed of during this period. There have been:
• No sales
• No donations
• No destruction or other forms of disposal
4. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, list the income from artworks sold?
Answer: None.
5. For each financial year, from 2020-21 to 2025-26, provide the number of artworks acquired (including purchases or donations, if recorded). If possible, please list the artworks acquired.
Answer: The authority’s collection database records acquisitions within museum and gallery collections. The museum has acquired 185 artworks.
2025/2026
Sally Payen, The River Watchers, oil on canvas, purchase
David Cox, Butchers Row, Hereford, Watercolour, donation
2024/2025
Nicholas Stevenson, The Sturgeon and The Artist, powder coated steel, donation
12 drawings and Paintings by Peggy Watkins, donation
4 drawings and paintings by Frances G Millington, donation
2021/2022
10 drawings and prints by Jenny Taylor, donation
Mary Roberts, Green Man, aluminium, donation
2020/2021
Richard Gilbert, The Lawns Warham, oil on canvas, donation
3 watercolours and 151 sketchbooks by Enoch Sweetland, donation
6. If held, the most recent estimated total value of the authority’s artwork collection (if available provide the value for insurance purposes rather than assumed value).
Answer: The authority holds information relating to the value of parts of its collection, including for insurance purposes, however we consider the information requested above to be exempt under Section 31 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, which exempts information if disclosure would, or would be likely, to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime.
This exemption is subject to the public interest test, and accordingly I have weighed up the reasons for and against disclosure as follows:
Reasons for disclosure in the public interest:
Disclosure would promote openness concerning the management, stewardship and insurance of publicly owned collections and would enable the public to better understand the value of assets held on their behalf.
Reasons against disclosure in the public interest:
Disclosure of the total insurance valuation of the authority's artwork collection under FOI would be release to the world at large, and would reveal the overall value of a potentially attractive target for theft and could assist individuals seeking to assess the potential financial gain from criminal activity. Even where individual items are not identified, disclosure of the collection's insured value would provide intelligence about the significance and worth of the authority's holdings.
The authority has a responsibility to safeguard the assets in its care and to ensure that public funds are not exposed to additional risks arising from increased security threats. Disclosure could increase the likelihood of theft, attempted theft, damage, or other criminal activity directed at the collection, resulting in financial loss and costs associated with crime prevention and investigation.
Taking the above into account I find the balance in favour of non-disclosure of the requested information in the public interest. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
7.If possible within the cost restraints of this request, please provide a list of artwork owned by the council.
Answer: This information is not held in a form that would enable it to be located, retrieved and extracted within the Appropriate Time Limit which equates to 18 hours as defined by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004.
The authority holds a collection database for museum and gallery artworks. However, this database does not represent a complete record of all artworks held across the wider council estate, and not all items are fully catalogued. Approximately 20+ sites would need to be individually reviewed, with each requiring time for travel and on-site identification of artworks. Even using a conservative estimate of time per site, this would be likely to result in a total time requirement of in excess of 35 hours.
Where the Limit is exceeded Public Authorities are not obliged to supply the information requested by virtue of S12 of the Act. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
As an alternative, the authority may be able to provide a summary breakdown of the collection, for example by category or type of artwork, within the cost limit. If you would like to refine your request, for example by limiting it to a specific collection or a reduced dataset, we would be happy to consider whether information can be provided.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.