Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Guildford

This is a disclosure log of Guildford 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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715 disclosures

  1. Cleaning Services Structure Research

    Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would be grateful if you could provide the following information in relation to cleaning services delivered or managed by yourselves:

    1. Approximately how many council-owned, council-operated or otherwise supported sites are currently covered by your cleaning service?

    2. Which department, directorate or team is responsible for the management of these cleaning services?

    3. What is the job title or role of the person with overall responsibility for cleaning operations across these sites?

    4. Please provide a general contact email address for the relevant department or team, where this information is held.

    5. Are cleaning services predominantly delivered by:

    - an in-house council team,

    - an external contractor,

    - individual sites,

    - or a combination of these approaches?

    6. If cleaning services are outsourced in whole or in part, please confirm the name of the current service provider or providers.

    Published: 14 September 2026

  2. Temporary stopping arrangement for Gypsies and Travellers

    Please find below a Freedom of Information request concerning temporary stopping arrangements for Gypsies and Travellers on land owned or managed by the local authority.

    1. Did the local authority permit any temporary stopping arrangements during the following periods?

    1(a) 1 March 2020 – 31 July 2021: Yes / No

    1(b) 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026: Yes / No

    1(c) If the answer is "No" for either period, please state, so far as the recorded information held by the authority indicates, why no temporary stopping arrangements were permitted.

     

    2. For each period in which the answer to Question 1 was "Yes", did the local authority have a written policy, protocol or other recorded approach relating to temporary stopping arrangements?

    2(a) 1 March 2020 – 30 July 2021: Yes / No

    2(b) 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026: Yes / No

    2(c) If yes, please provide a copy of the relevant policy, protocol or other recorded approach.

     

    3. Please provide the number of separate temporary stopping arrangements recorded by the local authority during the following periods:

    3(a) 1 March 2020 – 31 July 2021.

    3(b) 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026.

    3(c) Where this information is held in a recorded form, please provide the relevant record or information.

     

    4. Please provide information, where recorded, on the length of time occupants were permitted to stay under each temporary stopping arrangement during the following periods:

    4(a) 1 March 2020 – 31 July 2021.

    4(b) 1 August 2025- 31 July 2026.

     

    5. Which of the following facilities or services were provided or arranged in connection with temporary stopping arrangements during the following periods?

    5(a) 1 March 2020 – 31 July 2021

    5(a)(i) Drinking water: Yes / No

    5(a)(ii) Toilets: Yes / No

    5(a)(iii) Showers or washing facilities: Yes / No

    5(a)(iv) Bins and/or refuse collection: Yes / No

    5(a)(v) Any other facilities or services (please specify):

    5(b) 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026

    5(b)(i) Drinking water: Yes / No

    5(b)(ii) Toilets: Yes / No

    5(b)(iii) Showers or washing facilities: Yes / No

    5(b)(iv) Bins and/or refuse collection: Yes / No

    5(b)(v) Any other facilities or services (please specify).

     

    6. Were occupants charged a fee or other payment for occupying the land, for any facilities or services provided, or for any other aspect of the temporary stopping arrangement during the period:

    6(a) 1 March 2020 – 30 April 2021: Yes / No

    If yes, please provide information on the fees or other payments charged during this period, including, where recorded:

    6(a)(i) the amount charged;

    6(a)(ii) what the charge related to; and

    6(a)(iii) the basis on which the charge was calculated, for example per household, caravan, person, day, week or another basis.

    6(b) 1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026: Yes / No

    If yes, please provide information on the fees or other payments charged during this period, including, where recorded:

    6(b)(i) the amount charged;

    6(b)(ii) what the charge related to; and

    6(c)(iii) the basis on which the charge was calculated, for example per household, caravan, person, day, week or another basis.

    Published: 14 September 2026

  3. Fixed penalty notice enquiry

    I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:

    I am conducting research into letting agent regulation in England, and would like to request the following data relating to Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued to letting agents by your authority's housing enforcement and/or Trading Standards functions, for 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025:

    * The number of FPNs issued to letting agents.
    * The total value of FPNs issued to letting agents (£).
    * The number of FPNs issued to letting agents that year which, as of today, have not yet been fully paid
    * The total value of FPNs issued to letting agents that year which, as of today, have not yet been paid.

    Published: 14 September 2026

  4. Drone & AI CCTV enquiry

    I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:

    AI CCTV

    Please confirm whether the council currently operates, or has operated during the last 12 months, any CCTV or video surveillance systems which incorporate artificial intelligence.

    If yes, please provide:

    The supplier/vendor and product name of each system.

    A list of the AI-enabled or automated capabilities available within each system.

    Which of those capabilities are currently enabled and operational.

     

    Drone usage

    Please confirm whether the council has owned, leased, operated, or contracted the use of any drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the last 12 months for enforcement, regulatory, compliance, investigative, community safety, anti-social behaviour, environmental crime, planning enforcement, parking enforcement, or similar monitoring or evidential purposes.

    If yes, please provide:

    The number of drones operated by, or on behalf of, the council.

    The model name(s) and supplier(s).

    The purpose(s) for which the drones are used.

    Whether any drones are allocated to specific functions or teams.

    Whether the drones incorporate AI, automated analytics, object detection, facial recognition, thermal imaging or similar image-analysis capabilities.

    Which of those capabilities are technically available and which are currently enabled.

    A brief description of how drone deployments are authorised and conducted.

    Whether drones are deployed routinely for patrols, or only in response to specific incidents, reports, investigations, inspections, or other identified needs.

    Whether deployment logs are maintained and, if so, the categories of information routinely recorded within those logs.

    Whether drone imagery, footage, or other data may be shared with police forces and, if so, under what circumstances.

    Whether any drones are operated by contractors or other organisations on behalf of or in partnership with the council and, if so, the name of the organisation(s).

     

    Published: 10 September 2026

  5. Complaints about invasive weeds, 2021-2025

    I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your authority:

    Under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 please provide information about complaints received by the council concerning invasive weeds growing on neighbouring or adjoining land.

    For each of the five complete calendar years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, please provide:

    The total number of unique complaints received concerning invasive weeds.

    A breakdown of these complaints by the following plant species:

      *   Japanese knotweed

      *   Bamboo

      *   Giant hogweed

      *   Himalayan balsam

      *   Other invasive plant species

    Please provide the information electronically, preferably as an Excel or CSV file.

    For the purposes of this request:

      *   Please include cases where the plant had spread, was alleged to have spread or was considered at risk of spreading from neighbouring or adjoining land.

      *   Please include complaints concerning privately owned, commercially owned and council-owned neighbouring land.

      *   Please exclude reports made solely about an invasive plant growing on the reporting person’s own land, unless the report also concerned its spread from neighbouring or adjoining land.

      *   Please exclude routine inspections, scheduled maintenance and infestations identified internally where no corresponding report was received from a member of the public.

      *   “Other invasive plant species” means any other plant recorded by the council as invasive, non-native, encroaching or requiring control because of its spread.

    Published: 8 September 2026

  6. Unauthorised encampment in Send

    I am seeking information relating to the unauthorised occupation of the public land in Send at the beginning of July 2026, located opposite the Send Surgery on Send Road, during the period in which multiple vehicles and caravans were parked on the site.

    Information Requested – please provide the following:

    1. All recorded actions taken by Guildford Borough Council in response to the unauthorised occupation, including:

    * Enforcement actions,

    * Environmental health actions,

    * Waste‑management or cleansing actions,

    * Any liaison with Surrey Police or other agencies,

    * Any legal steps taken to remove the individuals or vehicles from the land.

     

    2. Details of all offences or breaches recorded, including but not limited to:

    * Illegal parking or unauthorised encampment,

    * Fly‑tipping,

    * Human waste disposal,

    * Keeping of unrestrained livestock or animals,

    * Use of motorcycles by children on the land.

     

    3. Information on any investigations or prosecutions pursued, including:

    * Whether individuals were identified,

    * Whether fixed‑penalty notices, fines, or other sanctions were issued,

    * Whether any cases were referred to the courts or other authorities,

    * The outcomes of any enforcement or prosecution activity.

     

    4. Financial information, specifically:

    * The total cost incurred by Guildford Borough Council (and, if held, Send Parish Council) in clearing waste, human defecation, and other materials left on the land,

    * Whether the Council sought to recover these costs from the individuals involved,

    * Whether any cost‑recovery was successful, and if so, the amounts recovered.

     

    5. Equality of enforcement

    * Confirmation of whether the individuals involved were subject to the same enforcement processes and penalties that would ordinarily apply to any resident committing the same offences,

    * Any policies or guidance used by the Council when determining enforcement action in cases involving unauthorised encampments.

     

    Published: 8 September 2026

  7. Council officers working outside of the United Kingdom

    I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your authority:

    This is an information request relating to council officers being given permission to work from outside the United Kingdom. By United Kingdom, I refer to Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, not including the crown dependencies.

    Please include the following information, for the 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 financial years:

    * The number of staff, per year, given permission to work from abroad.

    * For each member of staff granted permission, please provide:

    * their pay band,

    &

    * the country they have been allowed to work from,

    &

    * the length of time that they have been allowed to work for and,

    &

    * the dates they were allowed to work from abroad.

    * The longest time a member of staff has been granted permission to work from abroad and what country they went to.

    * The highest ranking officer that was allowed to work from abroad.

    * The current number of people working from abroad and where they are.

    Published: 7 September 2026

  8. Litter reports in parks

    I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your authority:

    Please treat this as a request for recorded information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, or the equivalent environmental information legislation applicable to your authority.

    For the period 1 January 2021 to 31 July 2026 inclusive, please provide the number of reports or service requests received concerning litter or rubbish in council-owned or council-managed parks and public open spaces.

    Please provide the figures broken down by individual park/site and calendar year, ideally in the following format:
    Park/site name | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 1 Jan–31 Jul 2026

    Where your system already records whether the report relates specifically to a playground or children's play area, please also indicate this or provide the number of those reports separately.

    Please use the park/site name and categories as they are recorded in your existing system. I am not asking the council to manually review free-text descriptions to determine whether an incident occurred within a playground.

    Published: 7 September 2026

  9. Local authority assets enquiry

    I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your authority:

    * The number and total value of local authority assets that have been sold in each of the last 15 calendar years (2010 to 2025 inclusive), setting out clearly which types of asset are included and splitting them by category or type. Please separate out social housing asset sales and community asset transfers, so these can be identified distinctly from other sales.

    * The stock of local authority assets currently held, by number and value, setting out clearly which types of asset are included and splitting them by type where possible. Please again separate social housing, and any community assets that are due to be transferred.

    * The number of local authority assets that have been transferred into community ownership in each of the last 15 calendar years (2010 to 2025 inclusive).

    Published: 7 September 2026

  10. Off-street parking places order for Portsmouth Road Car Park, Guilford

    I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from your authority:

    I would like to request a copy of the off-street parking places order for Portsmouth Road Car Park, Guilford. Please could this be provided in PDF format, with searchable / selectable text, and inclusive of all schedules.

    Please note, this request is for the traffic order in its entirety, not only the part of the order relevant to the location mentioned above. Please do not provide any sort of "extract" that is anything less than the full document.

    Please note this is a request for the sealed / formally enacted order, please do not provide any informal "working copy". If the order has been amended multiple times by later orders, please provide the sealed copy of the original order as enacted, plus the sealed version of all amending orders (again with searchable / selectable text, and inclusive of all schedules).

    Published: 7 September 2026