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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2,826 disclosures

  1. Taxi Licensing Enforcement

    Herefordshire Council’s taxi licensing policy places strong emphasis on safeguarding & public safety. At the full council meeting in December, I raised concerns regarding the enforcement of taxi driver identification requirements.

    While a response was provided, it did not include specific data or evidence demonstrating how compliance is monitored or enforced in practice. In order to understand how the Council assures public safety, can the council please provide:

    1. The number of compliance or enforcement checks carried out in the last 12months specifically relating to taxi driver identification.

    2. Details of how & how often identification checks are conducted (for example, roadside checks, spot checks, or inspections).

    3. The number of warnings, suspensions, or license revocations issued in relation to identification breaches over the same period

    Published: 18 February 2026

  2. Subject Access Request Information for 2022/23-2024/25

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request information regarding Subject Access Requests (SARs) received by your Council.
     
    For ease of response, I have structured this request into clearly defined questions with simple response formats. Where exact figures are unavailable, informed estimates are acceptable.
     
    Section 1: SAR Volume
     
    Please provide the total number of Subject Access Requests received:
     
    Financial Year | Number of SARs Received
    2022/23 (April 2022 - March 2023) |
    2023/24 (April 2023 - March 2024) |
    2024/25 (April 2024 - March 2025) |

     
    Section 2: Processing Time and Staff Costs
     
    What is the estimated average number of staff hours spent processing each SAR (including searching, collation, review, and redaction)?
     
    Average hours per SAR?

     
    Which salary band best represents the staff primarily responsible for processing SARs?
     
    (Select one)
    ☐  Under £30,000 per annum
    ☐  £30,000 - £40,000 per annum
    ☐  £40,000 - £50,000 per annum
    ☐  £50,000 - £65,000 per annum
    ☐  Over £65,000 per annum
    ☐  Mixed/varies significantly across departments
     
    Approximately how many FTE (full-time equivalent) staff are dedicated to SAR processing?
     
    Estimated FTE for SAR processing =

     

    Section 3: External Costs
     
    Please provide the total expenditure on external SAR support (e.g., solicitors, consultants, redaction services). Costs can be approximate however must be indicated as such:
     
    Financial Year | External Spend (£)
    2022/23 |
    2023/24 |
    2024/25 |
     
    If no external services were used, please state "Nil".

     
    Section 4: Compliance and Timeliness
     
    Please provide the following compliance data:
     
    Financial Year | Completed Within 30 Days | Required Extension | Total SARs
    2022/23 |
    2023/24 |
    2024/25 |

     
    How many SARs are currently open or overdue?
     
    Current backlog (open/overdue) =
     
    Section 5: Complaints and Quality
     
    Please provide the following quality indicators:
     
    Financial Year | ICO Complaints | SARs Requiring Re-work
    2022/23 | 
    2023/24 |
    2024/25 | 
     
    If none, please state "Nil".

     
    Has the ICO taken any enforcement action regarding SAR handling in the past three years?
     
    ☐  Yes  ☐  No
     
    Section 6: Current Tools and Methods
     
    What software or tools are currently used to manage and process SARs?
     
    (Select all that apply)
    ☐  Spreadsheet (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets)
    ☐  General case management system
    ☐  Specialist SAR/DSAR software. Name of software _______________
    ☐  Social Care Case Management System (e.g., Liquid Logic, Mosaic)
    ☐  Document Management System (e.g., SharePoint, OpenText)
    ☐  Email/manual process only
    ☐  Other (please specify): _______________
     
    Is any element of your SAR process currently automated?
     
    (Select all that apply)
    ☐  Automated searching across systems
    ☐  Automated redaction
    ☐  Automated tracking and deadline alerts
    ☐  Automated response/correspondence generation
    ☐  No automation currently in place
     
    Section 7: SAR Processing Responsibility
     
    Which role(s) or department(s) are primarily responsible for processing SARs?
     
    (Select all that apply)
    ☐  Information Governance Team
    ☐  Data Protection Officer / DPO
    ☐  Legal Services
    ☐  HR / People Services
    ☐  Children's Services
    ☐  Adult Social Care
    ☐  Individual service departments (for records within their area)
    ☐  External provider
    ☐  Other (please specify): _______________
     
    Name the top 3 departments to which SARs were aimed.

     

    Section 8: Complexity Indicators
     
    On average, how many separate systems are searched per SAR?
     
    (Select one)
    ☐  1-2 
    ☐  3-5 
    ☐  6-10
    ☐  More than 10

     
    On average, how many pages are reviewed per SAR?
     
    (Select one)
    ☐  Under 50    
    ☐  50-200      
    ☐  201-500
    ☐  501-1,000   
    ☐  Over 1,000  
    ☐  Unknown

     
    How many SARs required consultation with third parties (e.g., NHS, schools, police, external agencies)?

    Financial Year | Third Party Consultations
    2022/23
    2023/24
    2024/25

    Published: 18 February 2026

  3. Sam Taylor Reg 28 Notice Response - System in Place for Identifying Process Failure

    On the 21st august 2023 Mr Paul walker CEO Herefordshire council responded to a reg 28 notice from Herefordshire coroner Mr Bricknell.

    In the response to item '3. A system for identifying process failure should be in place and effective' Mr Walker responds 'Herefordshire council can confirm that system for identifying any process failure is now in place and operating'.

    1. What date did the system come into operation?

    2. Please provide the guidance for the system.

    3. Who was the lead manager for this system?

    4. Does the system have a title? How is it referred to by staff?

    Published: 16 February 2026

  4. Parking permits currently issued to Herefordshire Council Councillors

    This is a freedom of information request. Please provide:

    1) How many parking permits are currently issued to Herefordshire Council Councillors?

    2) The terms and conditions provided to Councillors on how and where they can be used.

    3) The policy document that allows these permits to be issued to Councillors.

    4) The maximum number of permits issued to each Councillor.

    5) The number of Councillors that have more that one permit.

    6) The number of Councillors that a have permit that is valid for more than one vehicle.

    Published: 16 February 2026

  5. Trade unions

    Please advise: 1. The details of any office accommodation your organisation provides to staff to carry out trade union business. Please include details of:

    * space measured in square feet

    * how much of this space is contained within entirely separate buildings (i.e. occupied solely by staff carrying out trade union business)

    * whether a professional valuation of the market rental value of the space has been sought either in-house or externally, and if so, what the valuation of the space was

    * any charges the council levy for office space given to trade unions.

    2. Do you deduct trade union subscriptions for any of your employees via payroll (sometimes known as the "check off" system)?

    If so, do you charge a fee to the trade unions concerned for providing this service?

    3. With regard to trade union facility time, please provide the total cost of facility time from your pay bill for the financial year 2024/25 and the budget for the current financial year.

    Please also advise the current number of employees that you fund to be union officials, measured as full time equivalents?

    4. Please advise any estimates for other costs met for those staff on trade union facility time apart from salaries - including travel expenses, office supplies, telephone expenses and energy bills.

    Published: 16 February 2026

  6. Dog food product recalls between 1st January 2020 and 31 December 2025

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide details of any records held by your authority between 1st January 2020 and 31 December 2025 (past 5 years) relating to dog food product recalls, withdrawals, or safety incidents.

    This includes (where held):

    a) Total number of complaints received each year

    b) Whether an inspection or sampling activity was undertaken

    c) Whether correspondence with the FSA was undertaken

    d) Any enforcement or advisory actions taken

    For each dog food product incident recorded by your authority during this period, please provide the following information where available.

    Per product incident:

    i) The year the incident occurred

    ii) The name of the manufacturer

    iii) The brand name of the product

    iv) The product name

    v) How the incident was classified by your authority (e.g. recall, withdrawal, advisory, investigation)

    vi) The hazard identified (for example, but not limited to: Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, E. coli, or other bacteria; detection of foreign objects; nutritional deficiencies or imbalances; presence of undeclared allergens; and packaging issues.

    vii) The action taken by your authority (e.g. complaint logged, inspection conducted, enforcement action)

    If any of the above information is not held, please leave the relevant fields blank.

    If compiling the full data exceeds the statutory time limit, please provide the available data within the time limit.

    Please provide data in Excel or CSV format if possible.

    Published: 13 February 2026

  7. LOBO Loan Authorisation and Governance

    Request for Information Regarding LOBO Loan Authorisation and Governance

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information regarding the LOBO (Lender Option Borrower Option) loans currently held by Herefordshire Council, specifically:

    1. Decision-making and Authorisation

    a) Who within Herefordshire Council proposed and authorised the entry into the two LOBO loan agreements totalling £12 million?

    b) What were the stated purposes or projects for which these LOBO loans were originally raised?

    2. Governance and Democratic Oversight

    a) Was the decision to enter into these LOBO loans subject to a vote by Full Council?

    b) If so, please provide the minutes of the meeting, including:

    i) The date of the meeting;

    ii) The motion text;

    iii) The voting record;

    iv) Any amendments or objections raised.

    v) If the decision was taken under executive powers or delegated authority, please specify:

    vi) The relevant constitutional or legal basis for that delegation;

    vii) The identity and role of the officer or executive making the final decision.

    3. Public Notification and Consultation

    a) Was any form of public notice, consultation, or communication issued to inform local taxpayers of the Council’s intention to enter into these long-term financial agreements?

    b) If yes, please provide:

    i) The dates of such notices or communications;

    ii) Copies of the public announcements or records.

    4. Loan Terms and Duration

    a) Please confirm:

    i) The exact date of inception for each LOBO loan;

    ii) The original term and maturity date;

    iii) Whether any options to raise the interest rate have been exercised by the lenders;

    iv) Whether Herefordshire Council has ever attempted or negotiated early exit terms.

    Published: 13 February 2026

  8. Hair strand testing as part of family court proceedings for the past 3 financial years

    I'd like to make a Freedom of Information request as below:

    1. How many hair strand tests have been ordered each year as part of family court and family drug and alcohol court proceedings for the past three years (in which the year runs from 1st April to 31st March).

    2. In how many cases for the past three years (in which the year runs from 1st April to 31st March) when hair strand tests were used in family court and family drug and alcohol court proceedings was a final care order put in place?

    3. How much money has the local authority spent on hair strand testing in family court proceedings each year for the last three years (in which the year runs from 1st April to 31st March)?

    If it is possible please answer question 4 below but only if it's possible to do so within the time/cost constraints of the FOI act

    4. How much did the local authority spend on hair strand testing with each testing company in family court cases each year for the last three years (in which the year runs from 1st April to 31st March) Please name each company. For example: Testing company A = £500

    Published: 13 February 2026

  9. CPNs and PSPOs

    I would like to make the following request for information about your authority's use of CPN and PSPO powers.


    CPNs

    1. Please state the number of Community Protection Notices (CPNs) issued by your authority in the periods: a. November 2023-October 2024; b. November 2024-October 2025.

    Please also state the number of Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) issued within these periods.



    2. If possible, please state the subject of these CPNs/CPWs - for example, by providing the texts, or stating the subject matter of the orders (e.g. Litter, waste, ASB).


    3. Please state the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued for the offence of breach of CPN between November 2024-October 2025. Please state the offences for which these FPNs were issued.



    PSPOs

    4. Please state the number of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) currently live within your authority.


    5. Please provide a link to the PSPO texts online. If no link is available, please attach the PSPO texts.



    6. Please state the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued for the offence of violating a PSPO in the following calendar years: - a. 2024 - b. 2025

     

    7. Where possible, please state the offences for which these PSPO FPNs were issued (eg begging, alcohol, dog control, dispersal).


    8. Please state whether these PSPO FPNs were issued by a private company (Y/N). If so, please state the name of the company.

    Published: 13 February 2026

  10. Social Care Pricing Tool Contract

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information regarding the recently awarded contract: Social Care Pricing Tool. Please provide:

    1. The names of all organisations who submitted a tender for this contract

    2. The evaluation criteria and weightings used for assessment

    3. The scores achieved by each bidder (bidder names may be anonymised if preferred, but individual scores should be included)

    4. The total number of bids received

    Published: 13 February 2026