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. Spiking prevention - Statement of Licensing Policy

   The Local Government Association offer guidance on good practice for licensing authorities in response to spiking. Our inquiries relate to the extent to which your licensing authority implements these recommendations - specifically:-

   Q1) Do you explicitly reference spiking prevention in your statement of licensing policy?

   Q2) Have you run a communications campaign to clearly demonstrate that your council takes a zero-tolerance approach to spiking.

   Q3) Which of the following partnership schemes are training packages are referenced in your statement of licensing policy?

   · Pubwatch

   · Best Bar None

   · Purple Flag

   · Community Alcohol Partnerships

   · Street Pastors

   · The Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) initiative

   · 'Ask for Angela'

   Q4) Has your licensing authority followed the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee to consider the prevalence, prevention and reporting of sexual harassment and misconduct and gender-based violence in statements of licensing policy.

   Q5) For the previous 5 calendar years please provide the number of venues which have had their licence suspended, revoked, or/and had conditions added to the licence, as a result of spiking incidents within the venue. Please could you provide this data broken down by year.

   a) 2018

   b) 2019

   c) 2020

   d) 2021

   e) 2022

   f) 2023 (including latest available data)

   Q6) How many incidents of alleged spiking have been recorded by the licensing authority in the past five years. Please break down by year

   a) 2018

   b) 2019

   c) 2020

   d) 2021

   e) 2022

   f) 2023 (including latest available data)

   Q7) Please provide details of the three most recent cases where a venue has had its licence suspended, revoked or/and had conditions added, as a result of spiking incidents.

   Published: 15 May 2023

2. Number of escalations and audits of decisions internally within Mash July 22 - April 23

   Please can you inform me of the number of escalations and audits of decisions internally within Mash, children's services between July 2022 and April 2023

   Published: 12 May 2023

3. Lead water pipes in schools

   Please provide the following information. I make this request under the Freedom of Information Act

   1. How many schools in your area have lead water pipes?

   2. How many schools have no lead pipes but have lead fittings on copper water pipes (e.g.- lead solder)?

   3. Please provide the names and postcodes of the schools in Q1 and Q2

   4. Please can you provide details of any testing you carry out for lead in school water. How often is testing carried out?

   5. Please provide a figure for tests carried out in the last three years. Could you also provide a copy of the test results?

   6. Please provide the names postcodes of the schools tested in Q5

   7. If a breach in water quality is detected in a school, water companies must serve a notice to the building owner under Regulation 21 guidance to ensure action is taken to improve the quality of the drinking supply. Please state how many times you have been the recipient of such a notice since 2012 including the current year up to the date of your response to this request related to lead

   8. Please provide the names and postcodes of the schools in Q7

   9. In each case in Q7, please state what the issue was and what remedial action was taken.

   Published: 12 May 2023

4. Council officers vehicle usage

   I am writing to politely request the following information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):

   1. How many business miles have been travelled by your employees using their own car (grey fleet) in the financial year 2021-2022?

   2. How many business miles have been travelled by your employees using their own car (grey fleet) in the financial year 2022-2023?

   3. How much money has been reimbursed back to employees for those business miles for grey fleet in the financial year 2021-2022?

   4. How much money has been reimbursed back to employees for those business miles for grey fleet in the financial year 2022-2023?

   5. How much does your organisation reimburse its employees per mile?

   6. Does your organisation have an employee travel policy for business travel, which may include other additional modes of transport such as train, car rental etc.? If so, can it please be attached to this response.

   Published: 12 May 2023

5. Council debt and asset sales 2022/2023

   Please advise:

   1. The current total of your General Fund debt.

   2. The total interest payments on your General Fund debt paid in the financial year 2022/23.

   3. The total revenue you obtained from the sale of General Fund assets, including buildings and land, in the financial year 2022/23.

   4. The estimate (if any) you have on the number of new homes that have been built or are due to be built on the land and buildings that you sold from your General Fund assets in the financial year 2022/23.

   Published: 11 May 2023

6. Road closure applications for Coronation Street Parties 2023 and Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022

   Would it be possible to find out how many applications for road closures you have received for Coronation street parties this year please?

   And for comparison how many you received for the Queens Platinum Jubilee last year?

   Published: 11 May 2023

7. Private Information sharing/privacy documents related to Prevent and Channel

   I am requesting the following documents completed by your authority, and any sub-councils within your authority, related to Prevent, Channel or safeguarding more generally that includes Prevent:

   - Prevent/Channel Privacy Notice

   - Information Management Strategy

   - Data Protection Impact Assessment/Privacy Impact Assessment - Equality Impact Assessment

   - Data Sharing Agreement(s) or similar

   - Any Memorandum of Understanding with the Home Office.

   Published: 11 May 2023

8. Data used to work out 10% rise on taxi licensing costs

   Under the Freedom of Information Act please provide the data that was used to work out the need for a 10% rise across the board on all taxi licensing costs passed on to the trade. You recently wrote "this financial work for this will be based upon facts and figures checked and audited by our accountants." We would like to see these facts and figures please.

   Published: 11 May 2023

9. Tree Felling Licence - The Duchy of Cornwall Estate

   Please provide proof that The Duchy of Cornwall Estate has a felling licence to fell trees during nesting season adjacent to Netherwood.

   Published: 11 May 2023

10. Greytree Spin Road

    I assume this document, as it is now 4 years old, will be reviewed shortly?

    There is no real instruction or confirmation within the document on how the council works to its goal arrest deterioration rather than resurfacing, could you please provide this detail?

    Looking at several roads, just in the Ross area (and I fully understand the 2000 miles & growing area you have to maintain), look at Ledbury Road from the junction of the school (Three Crosses Road) to the junction with the Dual carriageway, pot hole after pot hole has been filled, are these meant to be permanent fixings thus under your document designed to last to the age of the main surface, or temporary in which case what plans and timeframe is in place to complete a full repair.

    Station Approach, roundabout by Morrisions, this has had many (I assume temporary refills) the road surface again has given way and there are several large holes in the surface, no warning signs in place and it is breaking away so quickly, rubble remains on the road surface posing a further danger - do your plans include a temporary repair again?

    If permanent will that be road dressing or a resurface?

    As I stated, this has been refilled at least four or five times in the last few years - certainly no more than four so the surface dressings you are completing are not lasting anywhere near the ten years you mention? Do you believe this is a good use of limited funds?

    What plans do you have for major repairs and resurfacing works in Ross over the next two years?

    I believe, and please correct me if you feel I am wrong, that the roads will continue to deteriorate in Herefordshire and will only continue to get worse, I suspect that within five years they will be so bad that they will be beyond anything other than a major investment, which will - if not already - out stretch the councils finance, if this is the case perhaps they should be honest and speak out now before a vote of no confidence comes in. What budget does the council have for the next two years for resurfacing roads?

    Published: 10 May 2023