Communications enquiry
Case reference FOI2026/01724
Received 14 August 2026
Published 22 September 2026
Request
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
PART A — CORRESPONDENCE WITH RESIDENTS
1. The total amount spent by the council on printing and posting correspondence to residents during the most recently completed financial year. A whole-organisation total is sufficient.
2. The number of items posted to residents during the same period, if this is recorded.
3. The total amount spent on SMS or text messaging to residents during the same period, and the number of messages sent, if these are recorded.
PART B — THE ANNUAL CANVASS
4. The total cost to the council of the most recently completed annual canvass, including printing, postage, staffing and any personal canvasser visits. If the canvass cost is not recorded separately from the council's general print and postage budget, please say so.
5. For that same canvass: the number of residential properties to which a canvass communication was sent; the number that did not respond to the first communication; the number of reminder communications sent; and the number of household visits carried out.
6. For that same canvass, the number of responses received by each route — paper, online, telephone and SMS — if this breakdown is recorded.
PART C — WHO HOLDS THIS WORK
7. The job title and, if the council is willing to share it, the direct contact details of the officer responsible for resident communications, customer contact strategy or digital transformation.
8. The job title and, if the council is willing to share it, the direct contact details of the Electoral Registration Officer and of the officer who manages the annual canvass day to day.
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
PART A — CORRESPONDENCE WITH RESIDENTS
1. The total amount spent by the council on printing and posting correspondence to residents during the most recently completed financial year. A whole-organisation total is sufficient.
£261,153.76 has been spent on postal costs in the 2025/26 financial year.
£72,221.36 has been spent on printing costs in the 2025/26 financial year.
2. The number of items posted to residents during the same period, if this is recorded.
215,826 items were sent out via our post room for the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.
3. The total amount spent on SMS or text messaging to residents during the same period, and the number of messages sent, if these are recorded.
Information not held.
PART B — THE ANNUAL CANVASS
4. The total cost to the council of the most recently completed annual canvass, including printing, postage, staffing and any personal canvasser visits. If the canvass cost is not recorded separately from the council's general print and postage budget, please say so.
This information is not yet available as the canvass is currently ongoing.
The canvass is accounted for separately under its budget codes. Indicative costing is approximately £76,700.
A final cost will be available after the end of canvass, sometime in December 2026.
5. For that same canvass: the number of residential properties to which a canvass communication was sent; the number that did not respond to the first communication; the number of reminder communications sent; and the number of household visits carried out.
Route 1
Properties at initial allocation: 43,998
Properties sent initial e-comms: 33,063
Properties sent reminder e-comms: not held
Properties sent Canvass Communication A letters in total: 25,764
Properties sent Canvass Communication A letters following e-comms: 14,795
Properties sent Canvass Communication A letters unable to e-comm: 10,969
Properties that did not respond to e-comms: 14,795
Route 2
Properties at initial allocation: 17,949
Properties sent initial Canvass Communication B letters: 17,949
Properties sent reminder e-comms: not held
Properties sent 1st reminder Canvass Forms: 11,056
(NB: this includes some new properties and some Route 1 properties which moved into Route 2 following certain changes. The amount of these is not held).
Properties allocated or awaiting allocation to personal contact: 7,278
(NB: again, this includes some new properties and some Route 1 properties which moved into Route 2 following certain changes. The amount of these is not held).
In person canvassing only began on 11/09/26, and so not many visits have yet been completed.
Route 3
Properties at initial allocation: 2,867
Properties due to be added and canvassed under Route 3: 443 (student accommodation block)
Route 3 canvass will be undertaken via data-matching. This has not yet started – due throughout October.
6. For that same canvass, the number of responses received by each route — paper, online, telephone and SMS — if this breakdown is recorded.
Responses
As of 15/09/26, we have received the following responses:
Online (from e-Communication): 20,493
Online (IVR): 11,541
Email: 90
Telephone (from resident): 64
Telephone (to resident): 5
Paper (by hand): 5
Paper (by post): 561
Canvasser (in person): 6
Canvasser (via tablet canvassing): 87
PART C — WHO HOLDS THIS WORK
7. The job title and, if the council is willing to share it, the direct contact details of the officer responsible for resident communications, customer contact strategy or digital transformation.
&
8. The job title and, if the council is willing to share it, the direct contact details of the Electoral Registration Officer and of the officer who manages the annual canvass day to day.
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 Democratic Services and Corporate Services can be found on our website via the following link:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27364/Directors-for-Legal-and-Democratic-Services
&
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/article/27264/Director-for-Strategy-and-Corporate-Services
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
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