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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3,091 disclosures

  1. Population of great crested newts identified on the Barratt Homes development (P141526/O)

    Re: the population of great crested newts identified on the Barratt Homes development at Bishop Fields on the edge of Tupsley (P141526/O)

    The Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (EDP March 2016) was "considered sufficient to discharge the requirements of conditions 20 and 21" pertaining to the identified protected species and biodiversity enhancement. It contained detailed provisions for Years 1 to 5 (see Objective 2 in Section 4). However, there were no specific provisions for the long-term management of great crested newts for Years 6 to 25 and beyond (see Section 5). Section 5.2 merely states that a review of the LEMP should be undertaken after 5 years and updated as required.

    The LEMP was augmented by a Great Crested Newts Working Method Statement and Work Schedule which was apparently submitted under email from David Poole on 5th July 2016, although this does not appear to be amongst the supporting documents on the planning portal.

    Please could you therefore provide the following information:

    1. The full working method statement and work schedule for the great crested newts on the Bishop Fields development agreed when planning permission was granted and, per the discharge notice, was submitted under email from David Poole on 5th July 2016;

    2. Details of the 5 year review that should have been undertaken and any subsequent amendments to the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan;

    3. Details of any habitat protection and enhancement scheme agreed with Herefordshire Council for the long-term management of great crested newts on the Bishop Fields site (6 to 25 Years+);

    4. Details of any long-term monitoring strategy for great crested newts on the Bishop Fields site agreed with Herefordshire Council (including frequency and results from the last two surveys).

    Published: 20 May 2024

  2. Refund eligibility under Planning Guarantee Legislation

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act in relation to your authority's policies and practices in providing refunds under the planning guarantee legislation (Regulation 9A of the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012) and more recent iterations.

    1. Please detail how the authority determine an applicant's eligibility for a refund in accordance with the legislation.

    2. Can you provide any official documentation, policies, or guidelines that outline the process and criteria for refund eligibility under the planning guarantee legislation? This would include any procedural steps that applicants must follow to initiate a refund request.

    If the authority does not have any official documentation, policies or guidelines and has not sought to create this since the inception of the legislation can you provide an explanation why?

    3. Are there circumstances, such as the statute of limitations, under which refunds would not be provided? If so, what are these circumstances? Any supporting written advice from your legal department would be of interest.

    4. Has your authority been proactive in informing applicant's that they are due a refund of their planning application fees paid when they become eligible?

    If the answer to 4 is no, could you explain the rationale behind this approach?

    5. Has your authority been proactive in refunding applicant's fees when they become eligible?

    a) If the answer to 5 is no, could you explain the rationale behind this approach?

    b) If refunds are not proactively made, can you advise what happens to the funds from the unclaimed refunds, since the legislation was implemented?

    6. Please provide the contact information for submitting refund requests i.e. the relevant person/team, contact telephone number and contact email address.

    7. Please provide the contact information for the authority's Monitoring Officer, as their oversight may be relevant to my inquiries.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the provision of individual names and contact details under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not give consent to receive direct marketing via any media and expressly does not constitute a 'soft opt-in' under PECR.

    Published: 20 May 2024

  3. Tax Increment Financing

    I would like to request the following information regarding Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in your Council:

    1) Is the Council currently making use of tax increment financing (retaining business rate increases above a set baseline, for a set period, in a designated area? For clarification, this practice is sometimes also known as 'business rate borrowing', although it does not have to involve borrowing.

    2) If so,

    a. Could you please provide a map of the designated area(s)?

    b. Could you please provide a list of postcodes that fall within the designated area(s)?

    c. Please provide a short description of the purpose of using TIF (e.g., for regeneration of the designated area). i. Has any investment taken place in relation to TIF? If so, could you please provide a short description of the type of investment, timelines, and amount invested?

    d. When did the TIF mechanism come into effect, and for which period (e.g., in April 2013, for a period of 25 years).

    e. Has the Council taken out any borrowing to be repaid through the retained business rates? If so, could you please state how much was borrowed, and who the lender was (e.g., £XX borrowed through bond issuance, £XX borrowed from the PWLB, etc.).

    Published: 17 May 2024

  4. Number of dog waste bins in place for the last three years

    Please state the number of dog poo bins that were in place in your area in:

    a) 2024

    b) 2023

    c) 2022

    If the number has declined, what was the reason for this?

    Published: 16 May 2024

  5. Gas and electricity supply

    I would appreciate if you could answer the following questions relating to your electricity and gas contracts.

    - Electricity Contracts

    Please can you confirm the following information regarding the electricity contracts:

    1. Who is your Electricity Supplier?

    2. Do you purchase your electricity through a framework provider or third party broker?

    3. Please confirm who the framework provider or broker is?

    4. What is the contract end date of your electricity contract?

    5. What is the estimated annual spend of the electricity contract?

    6. Approximately how many non-half-hourly electricity supplies do you have in your portfolio?

    7. Approximately, what is the annual consumption of non-half-hourly electricity supplies in kWHs?

    8. Approximately how many half-hourly electricity supplies do you have in your portfolio?

    9. Approximately, what is the annual consumption of HH electricity supplies in kWHs?

    10. Approximately how many unmetered electricity supplies do you have in your portfolio?

    11. Approximately, what is the annual consumption of unmetered electricity supplies in kWHs?

    - Gas Contracts

    Please can you confirm the following information regarding the gas contracts:

    12. Who is your Gas Supplier?

    13. Do you purchase your gas through a framework provider or third party broker?

    14. Please confirm who the framework provider or broker is?

    15. What is the contract end date of your gas contract?

    16. What is the estimated annual spend of the gas contract?

    17. Approximately how many gas electricity supplies do you have in your portfolio?

    18. Approximately, what is the annual consumption of gas supplies in kWHs?

    - Energy Management Systems or Energy Bureau Provider

    Please can you confirm the following information regarding your energy management system or energy bureau provider?

    19. Do you utilise an energy management or energy bureau software?

    20. Is this service managed in house or through an external provider?

    21. If an external provider, please confirm who the supplier is?

    22. If an external provider, what is the contract end date of your agreement with them?

    Published: 16 May 2024

  6. Section 38/278 Agreements

    Can you provide an up to date list of all roads within Herefordshire that currently have Section 38 or Section 278 highway agreements in relation to them?

    Published: 16 May 2024

  7. Residential noise complaints in the last 3 years

    I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information. Specifically, I would like to request:

    1. The total number of noise complaints from residential properties received in the last three years.

    2. The total number of noise abatement orders issued, and the number of fines issued (and value).

    Published: 16 May 2024

  8. Prosecutions under Consumer Protection Unfair Trading Regs 2008 for 1/1/2021 - 31/12/2023

    This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and all other rights to (and guidance in respect of) information.

    It relates to criminal proceedings under the Consumer Protection Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 ('the Regulations") and to the period between 1st January 2021 and 31st December 2023.

    Please state in respect of each calendar year 2021, 2022 and 2023:

    (1) The total number of prosecutions commenced by your council under regulations 8,9,10, 11 and 12 of the Regulations - a breakdown between regulations is not required under this first request.

    (2) The total number of prosecutions commenced by your council under regulations 10 Regulations (whether solely under regulation 10 or under regulation 10 and other regulations).

    Published: 15 May 2024

  9. Swap to Stop scheme contract

    I would like to make the following FOI requests.

    1. The names of the manufacturers that have contracts with your council to supply a) disposable vapes/e-cigarettes, and b)refillable vapes/e-cigarettes, under the NHS Swap to Stop scheme

    2.⁠ ⁠The total number of a) disposable vapes/e-cigarettes, and b) refillable vapes/e-cigarettes given out by the council under the NHS Swap to Stop scheme

    3.⁠ ⁠The value of the contracts awarded by your council to manufacturers of a) disposable vapes/e-cigarettes, and b)refillable vapes/e-cigarettes, under the NHS Swap to Stop scheme.

    Published: 14 May 2024

  10. Financial software, in particular for council maintained schools

    Regarding the Council's next financial software tender, in particular for the software you use for your maintained schools.

    Could you please let me know the below in relation to this:

    • Supplier Name

    • Spend (Total, Annual or contract value)

    • Contract Duration

    • Contract Extensions

    • Contract Start Date

    • Contract Expiry Date

    • Contract Description [Please provide me with as much detail as possible.]

    • Contact Owner (Person that manages the contract register)

    Published: 14 May 2024