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.

1,821 disclosures

1. UK Shared Prosperity Fund

   Request:

   Following your awarding of £6,642,187 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, please can you detail how much of this funding has been allocated to the 'Communities & Place' investment strand over the entire funding period?

   In addition, of the £806,091 of UKSPF funding allocated to be spent in 2022 - 2023, could you please confirm how much of this has been allocated to the 'Communities & Place' investment strand and provide as much detail as to the reporting criteria as set out below:

   Name of Project

   Project Description - a brief description of the project

   Budget for this Project (both total budget and amount spent in 2022/23)

   New or pre- UKSPF Project - is this a continuation of an existing project with UKSPF funding, or a new project?

   The main UKSPF intervention the project has been set up to support - primary intervention, based on spend

   Location - Project Postcode or Project Delivery Postcode (if applicable). Local Authority Areas that will benefit

   Delivery Lead - name of the organisation delivering project

   Type of Organisation delivering project - for example, VSO, Private Sector etc

   Status - that is, Planned, Live, Finished (completed), Closed (stopped early)

   Reason for closure - if project has closed early rather than being successfully completed

   Published: 2 October 2023

2. Number of Challenges to books received by your library/libraries between 2018 - 2022 so far in 2023

   Please provide data regarding the number of challenges to books received by your library/libraries for each calendar between 2018 and 2022, plus so far in 2023.

   For this request, a book challenge is defined as a formal complaint requesting that materials be removed from a library because of content or inappropriateness. Specifically, please provide each of the following for each year if available:

   • The number of challenges received

   • The title and author of the books challenged

   • The reason (if any) provided for the challenge

   • The action taken in response to the challenge

   Published: 2 October 2023

3. Commercial properties owned or leased by the council, and their current occupation status

   I would like a complete list of all industrial, and commercial properties to include offices etc across the county, that are owned or leased by Herefordshire County Council and the current situation of each property, either let or vacant, I am not interested in any buildings used for residential uses. It should be a complete list

   Published: 29 September 2023

4. Accident data for road traffic accidents in 2020, 2021 and 2022

   Please send me the data you have on deaths and injuries in the road traffic environment for the calendar years 2020, 2021, 2022. These data are recorded by speed limit categories and categories of victims so please include data for 20mph/30mph/roads above 30mph and please include data for drivers and passengers of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

   Published: 29 September 2023

5. Planning Application Refusals and Appeals 22-23 and 23-24

   I would be grateful if you could provide me with:

   1. The number of planning applications refused by the Planning Committee contrary to the Planning Officers recommendation.

   2. The number of successful appeals to the Planning Inspectorate from the above list

   3. The value of the costs awards made against the council from the above list.

   Dates for the above request, the financial year 22/23 and the current financial year.

   Published: 29 September 2023

6. Commissioned surveys for any council buildings for RAAC since 01 January 2018

   Please could the council supply the following information.

   1. Has the council commissioned any surveys for any of its buildings for RAAC since 01 January 2018, up to and including the day you process this request? Please answer only 'yes' or 'no'. If you need to give any other context, please use the explanatory notes column of the table provided.

   2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, please give the dates any surveys were commissioned, the dates date completed or expected to be completed and the number of buildings surveyed. Whether the answer is yes or no, please outline what work is taking place to identify the presence of RAAC and prepare for its removal

   3. Please give building types where RAAC is suspected and/or has been found and the date on which it was discovered. By building types I am asking for a general description of the purpose of the building, for example: council office, civic centre etc

   4. If possible, please provide the address and postcode of any buildings referred to in your answer to question 3.

   5. For each building in your answer to question 3, please give details of any action taken or to be taken as a result of discovering RAAC.

   Please could you provide the information either by filling in the accompanying spreadsheet and returning it as a .xlsx file or using the same layout.

   Please use a new line if you are reporting more than one survey or building, with a separate line for each, like in the example below.

   If any part of my request does trigger an exemption, I would ask you to provide advice and assistance under Section 16 of the FOI Act to revise my request in order to avoid this. Should you be minded to reject this request because of section 43(2) of the FOI Act (commercial interests), please could I ask that you apply a presumption in favour of disclosure on the grounds of public interest<https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2009/467390/FS_50164262.pdf>.

   Published: 29 September 2023

7. Smart street lamp plans and use of data

   I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the use of smart street lamps in Herefordshire.

   Specifically, I would like to know the following:

   Does the Council currently have any plans to introduce smart street lamps?

   If so, what are the details of these plans?

   What type of smart street lamps are you considering?

   What data do you anticipate being collected by the smart street lamps?

   How will this data be used?

   Who will have access to this data?

   What measures are in place to protect the privacy of individuals whose data is being collected?

   Do you have any plans to link smart street lights to a 5G network? If so, what are the details of these plans?

   Do you have any plans to develop a smart city in Herefordshire? If so, what are the details of these plans?

   Do you have any plans to consult with the public about the introduction of smart street lamps? If so, what are the details of these plans?

   I would also like to know what policies and procedures you have in place to ensure that smart street lamps are used in a responsible and ethical manner.

   Published: 29 September 2023

8. Planning Enforcement Staffing

   I would be grateful if you would provide the following information:

   * What is the structure of your planning enforcement team - number of officers (admin, management, operational enforcement)?

   * What is the salary range for an operational planning enforcement officer?

   * What is the salary range for the senior planning enforcement officer/team leader (with operational and managerial responsibility)?

   * What is your total annual budget for planning enforcement work?

   * How many planning enforcement cases did you receive in 2022/23? Or provide an annual average number of cases

   * On average how many active cases does an officer hold at any one time?

   * Are you currently employing temporary staff to undertake the planning enforcement role, if so:

   o How many and in what roles?

   o Why is this? E.g. unable to attract permanent employees, demand is too great and this is a temporary arrangement, etc.

   Published: 28 September 2023

9. Education Health Care Plans

   Please advise with regards to the following questions:

   Question 1: As of 15 February 2023, how many children in your local authority had an Education Health Care Plan?

   Question 2: How many children with special educational needs in your local authority area required an Education Health Care Plan for transitioning from primary to secondary school in September 2023?

   Question 3: How many of these children received their final transition Education Health Care Plan by the 15 February 2023 deadline?

   Published: 28 September 2023

10. Business rates credit balances

    Please can you provide me with the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:-

    All properties within your Billing Authority area where there is either a credit held on the account or there was previously a credit which has now been written on

    • The fields required are all non-personal;

    • Primary Liable Party Name (Business Name)

    • Full Property Address

    • Postcode

    • Billing Authority Reference Number (Assessment Number)

    • Current Rateable Value

    • Credit Amount

    • Date Credit Applies To

    Published: 27 September 2023