Data Request: Local Government Communications Records
Case reference FOI2026/00862
Received 22 April 2026
Published 9 June 2026
Request
This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would be grateful if you could provide the information below for your local authority.
Unless otherwise stated, please provide figures covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Print and Postal Communications
1. The total number of letters sent by the authority.
a. Of these letters:
* i. Number sent via 1st class post
* ii. Number sent via 2nd class post
b. The number of letters printed and posted in‑house.
c. The number of letters sent via a hybrid mail service.
d. If hybrid mail is used:
* i. The name of the hybrid mail provider (e.g. Whistl, UK Mail, etc.).
* ii. The date the current arrangement was agreed.
* iii. The contract expiry date (if applicable).
Digital Communication Portals
2. The number of digital communication portals currently operated by the authority.
a. The name(s) of the digital portal provider(s).
b. For each digital portal:
* i. The month and year it went live
* ii. The number of citizens registered
* iii. The approximate number of communications sent via the portal during the period.
c. The preferred framework used (if any) for procuring digital communication platforms.
Digital Transformation and Channel Mix
3. Please state whether the authority has an active digital transformation programme relating to citizen communications (yes/no).
4. Whether the authority uses email as an outbound communication channel for residents (yes/no).
Responsible Roles
5. The name of the Manager responsible for:
* a. Print and post management
* b. Parking services
* c. Accounts payable
* d. Digital transformation
6. For each role above, please provide a Specific email address where available.
Response
Please find the answers to your queries below:
This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would be grateful if you could provide the information below for your local authority.
Unless otherwise stated, please provide figures covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Print and Postal Communications
1. The total number of letters sent by the authority – 215,826 were sent out via our post room for the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.
a. Of these letters:
* i. Number sent via 1st class post
* ii. Number sent via 2nd class post
Unfortunately, the reports generated on the franking machine only give total amounts, it cannot tell us what we sent via 1st, 2nd, large, parcel or international post. I can only give you an overall total, which is above in question 1.
b. The number of letters printed and posted in‑house.
189,138 letters were printed via the post room and 215,826 letters were posted via the post room – please note that multiple departments print out their own letters directly, using our in-house printers, and then drop them off with the post room to by physically posted out, which accounts for the difference.
c. The number of letters sent via a hybrid mail service.
N/A – we do not use a hybrid mail service.
d. If hybrid mail is used:
* i. The name of the hybrid mail provider (e.g. Whistl, UK Mail, etc.).
* ii. The date the current arrangement was agreed.
* iii. The contract expiry date (if applicable).
N/A.
Digital Communication Portals
2. The number of digital communication portals currently operated by the authority.
a. The name(s) of the digital portal provider(s).
b. For each digital portal:
* i. The month and year it went live
* ii. The number of citizens registered
* iii. The approximate number of communications sent via the portal during the period.
c. The preferred framework used (if any) for procuring digital communication platforms.
Please find this information attached.
Digital Transformation and Channel Mix
3. Please state whether the authority has an active digital transformation programme relating to citizen communications (yes/no).
Yes – more information about this is available via the following websites:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27169/Our-journey-to-improvement
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=17524
https://gpscasestudies.salesforce.com/articles/article-gbc-uk
4. Whether the authority uses email as an outbound communication channel for residents (yes/no).
Yes.
Responsible Roles
5. The name of the Manager responsible for:
* a. Print and post management
* b. Parking services
* c. Accounts payable
* d. Digital transformation
Regarding your request for the contact details of the staff members responsible for the above areas, please note that we do not publish the names and contact details of Guildford Borough Council employees, because it constitutes personal data under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for employees whose names are not already publicly available. However, I can confirm that the contact details for the Joint Assistant Directors with overall responsibility for the above areas can be found on our website via the following link:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/26469/Joint-Chief-Executive
* a. Print and post management – Joint Assistant Director of Finance and Resources (Assets and Property), Marieke van der Reijden.
* b. Parking services – Joint Assistant Director of Finance and Resources (Commercial Services), Kelvin Mills.
* c. Accounts payable – Joint Assistant Director of Finance and Resources (Finance), Candice Keet.
* d. Digital transformation – Assistant Director for Transformation, Perry Ashton (https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27422/Assistant-Director-for-Transformation)
6. For each role above, please provide a Specific email address where available.
* a. Print and post management – assetman@guildford.gov.uk
* b. Parking services – parking@guildford.gov.uk
* c. Accounts payable – invoices@guildford.gov.uk
* d. Digital transformation – perry.ashton@guildford.gov.uk
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
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