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.

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2,479 disclosures

  1. Play Space

    The information I am requesting is in relation to the piece of land labelled ‘Play Space’ on the Herefordshire Council interactive map, and situated next to the grounds of Our Lady’s Roman Catholic Primary School. It is between the Ross Road and Belmont Road. It is next to The Child Development Centre.

    I can provide a map for you my email, if this would be helpful. This piece of land is currently owned by the housing association Connexus and was previously owned by Herefordshire Housing. The land is currently public open space and has been for at least 30 years, but probably for much longer.

    I understand that the land was sold/ transferred to Connexus from Herefordshire Housing in around 2002.

    Please could you let me know the details of this transfer:

    - Date that this happened

    - Was the land sold or given/ transferred Any Conditions relating to the sale/ transfer of the land:

    - Any conditions relating to how the land could be used once sold/ in new owner ship, for example, it was public open space when owned by Herefordshire Housing, were there conditions relating to the need for it to remain as public open space?

    - Were they any other conditions relating to how it could be used in the future, for example to benefit the local community?

    How long did Herefordshire Housing/ Herefordshire Council/ Hereford Corporation own this piece of land? Please provide any details of the original sale of the land to Herefordshire Council / Hereford Corporation – ( I believe this may have been between 1947 -1955)

    Who was the previous owner? Was the land sold or given to Hereford Corporation?

    Were there any conditions about how the land could be used once sold/ transferred?

    For how long has this piece of land been public open space?

    Did it become public open space from when it first became owned by Hereford Corporation?

    Published: 9 January 2025

  2. VAT on care fee invoices

    VAT Freedom of Information Request Questions

    1. Does your local authority permit care providers to apply VAT on their weekly or monthly care fee invoices?

    2. If your local authority does not permit the application of VAT to invoices for care fees, please explain why your local authority has taken this decision, when that decision was taken, or last reviewed? Please provide any links to reports or papers which evidence this decision and rationale for taking this decision.

    3. If you do permit the application of VAT on invoices for care fees, please provide information on how adult social care providers can work with the local authority to do so

    4. Is there any specific eligibility criteria or requirements necessary for your local authority, for care providers prior to applying VAT to care fee invoices for your authority?

    5. Who in the local authority should a care provider contact if they wish to discuss charging VAT on care fees invoiced to your local authority? Please provide a named contact, phone number, and email address

    Published: 9 January 2025

  3. Enforcement re. Nicotine Inhaling Products, between 06/04/2023 and 05/042024

    Freedom of Information Request regarding Nicotine Inhaling Products

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I would like to request the following information relating to local enforcement actions taken against individuals, points of sale, and other premises relating to the sale of Nicotine Inhaling Products.

    For the purposes of this request, please define “not legal for sale in the UK” as meaning at least one of the following:

    1) Possessing of a tank size or fill level over the maximum 2ml legal limit

    2) Possessing a nicotine content over the maximum legal limit of 20mg per millilitre

    3) Possessing ingredients that contravene the UK Government guidance for nicotine containing liquids, for example, ingredients such as vitamins, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, acetaldehyde, acrolein, preservatives liable to release formaldehyde, diacetyl, or base metals including cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, mercury, and nickel.

    UK Government Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-6-ingredient-guidance-great-britain/4687fea1-5977-4744-a9b1-498b19490e81

    4) Not complying with the requisite nicotine warning label requirements of UK law as set out under the Tobacco and related Products Regulations.

    Specifically, can you please provide me with:

    1) The number of individuals who have been prosecuted between 6 April 2023 and 5 April 2024 in your council area for the sale of Nicotine inhaling products (sometimes known as “e-cigarettes”, “vapes” or “vapour products”) for not being legal for sale in the United Kingdom, due to investigations conducted by your council.

    2) The number of businesses and sole traders subject to any penalty between 6 April 2023 and 5 April 2024 (including but not limited to fine, opening restrictions, removal of premises licence) for the sale of nicotine inhaling products (sometimes known as “e-cigarettes”, “vapes” or “vapour products”) that are not legal for sale in the UK, due to investigations conducted by your council.

    3) The number of shops, and other places of business (including but not limited to market stalls, “car boot sales” and other point of sale locations) that have been visited between 6 April 2023 and 5 April 2024 by your council for the purposes of detection and disruption of the sale of nicotine inhaling products that are not legal for sale in the UK.

    4) The number of Trading Standards officers employed by the local council whose job description, roles, and responsibilities entail the investigation, detection, and disruption of the sale of nicotine inhaling products that are not legal for sale in the UK.

    Published: 7 January 2025

  4. Vape and cigarette waste reports & FPNs for littering

    Please could you provide the following information:

    1. The number of reports of cigarette butt waste from 1st January 2023 to 12th December 2024.

    2. The number of reports of vape waste from 1st January 2023 to 12th December 2024.

    3. The number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by your council in 2023 and 2024 for the littering of cigarette butts.

    4. The number of FPNs for littering cigarette butts that were not paid within the allocated time frame and subsequently went to court in 2023 and 2024.

    Published: 7 January 2025

  5. Referrals r.e. nursery settings

    The number of referrals to the Local Authority Designated Officer for the financial years from 2010 to 2015 and 2019 to 2024 where a person who works with children is alleged to have behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child in a nursery setting The number of referrals for the financial years from 2010 to 2015 and 2019 to 2024 where a person who works with children is alleged to have possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child in a nursery setting The number of occasions during the financial years from 2010 to 2015 and 2019 to 2024 where the police, children’s social care or other authorities have been notified as a result of a referral to the LADO about care in a nursery setting I am requesting these records in full and in digital form. If you need any further information from me in order to deal with my request, please let me know. If you are encountering practical difficulties with complying with this request, please contact me as soon as possible (in line with your section 16 duty to advise and assist requesters) so we can discuss the matter and if necessary I can modify the request.

    Published: 7 January 2025

  6. Unaccredited online schools

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the funding provided for children attending unaccredited online schools. For the purposes of this request, "unaccredited online schools" refers to online education providers that have not been accredited under The Department for Education's Online Education Accreditation Scheme.

    Specifically, I would like to request the following data:

    The total number of children who have been provided funding to attend unaccredited online schools over the past five years (broken down by year, if possible).

    The total amount of funding allocated for attendance at unaccredited online schools over the past five years (also broken down by year, if available). If the requested information is already publicly available, I would appreciate it if you could provide direct links to the relevant resources.

    Published: 7 January 2025

  7. Number of second homes registered with the council for each quarter from the start of 2022

    Herefordshire Council agreed in February of this year to levy double council tax on second homes in the county from next April, a proposal it had first mooted a year previously. I would like to know what impact, if any, this has had on numbers of second homes in the county.

    Can you please provide me with the number of second homes registered with the council for each quarter from the start of 2022 until the most recent quarter for which data is available?

    If possible I would also like this data broken down by council ward area for each quarter.

    Published: 6 January 2025

  8. penalty charge notices, car cloning

    I’m looking for information on the number of penalty charge notices that have been cancelled because the driver had been the victim of vehicle identity theft, known as car cloning - where a victim’s car registration plates have been cloned.

    Please could I get the following info The number of penalty charge notices cancelled because of car cloning during: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (up to December 13, present day) The total combined value of penalty charge notices cancelled because of car cloning during: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (up to December 13, present day) The total combined value of refunds paid to drivers who had paid a penalty charge notice but then proved that they had been a victim of car cloning during: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 (up to December 13, present day)

    Published: 6 January 2025

  9. RNIB - vision rehabilitation services

    As outlined in the 2014 Care Act, local authorities have a legal duty to prevent, reduce and delay the need for care and support. Councils are under a legal obligation to provide or arrange for the provisions of services, resources or facilities that maximise independence for those with disabilities or health conditions. Provision should be provided through an in-house vision rehabilitation service or outsourced to third party providers. Importantly, whether this service is delivered in-house or outsourced, local authorities remain responsible for the services provided in the local area and therefore are ultimately responsible for the provision of any information regarding these services. Please find enclosed the FOI questionnaire in an excel format. We use this format to improve data gathering and to allow us to monitor returns more efficiently and we would therefore be grateful if you could respond to us using the attached spreadsheet.

    Published: 3 January 2025

  10. Herefordshire Councils data on Ukrainian refugees

    Please provide the following data to us under the Freedom of Information Act. As you are obliged to report much of this to MHCLG, it should be easily available. We would like the information broken down into 3 categories - A, B, C - as described below. Answers can be provided after the colons, in an email response. Please only answer C if time permits, rather than rejecting the whole FoI. A. Homes for Ukraine Tariffs received - Please provide the total H4U tariff you received to date (not including the Homelessness Prevention, host 'thank you' payments or Education grants, which are all additional where these numbers are published. This is on the basis of £10500 per H4U arrival up to 31 Dec 2022, and £5900 per adult H4U arrival after this date (children remained at £10500 throughout).] Please provide the amount spent to date on Ukrainians: Broken down if possible by: - Council staff costs: - Local partner costs: - Temporary accommodation and rent / deposits costs: If possible, please provide details of the rest of the money: - How much is still unspent: - How much was spent on other nationalities or groups: B. Homelessness Prevention Grant Please provide the total amount received in 2023 / 2024 under this grant to your authority as a whole: Please provide figures of the money received under this specific grant that has been spent on Ukrainian refugees to prevent them from becoming homeless: Please break this down if possible by: - Amount irrecoverable (e.g. First month's rent paid): - Amount recoverable (e.g. Deposits or Guarantor schemes): If possible, please provide details of the rest of the money: - How much is still unspent: - How much was spent on other nationalities or groups: C. Education grant (please skip this if time does not permit) - Total funding received under Homes for Ukraine education and childcare grant conditions of funding. Please provide the total grant received here to date: Please provide the total funding spent so far from this grant on Ukrainian refugees: Please provide the total funding spent so far from this grant on non-Ukrainians:

    Published: 3 January 2025