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.
427 disclosures
-
Under a freedom of Information request, could you provide me with the following information covering the period 2013 to 2018 (inclusive): -
1) The total number of noise complaints (regardless of cause) made in relation to domestic premises, broken down per year?
2) The total of noise complaints made relating to fireworks from domestic premises, broken down per year?
3) The total of noise complaints made relating to dogs barking from domestic premises, broken down per year?
4) Total number of prosecutions for firework misuse/abuse, broken down per year.
Published: 18 June 2019
-
I'm getting in touch with councils to understand your counting arrangements for elections on 2nd May 2019. Below is a list of questions which I'd be grateful if you could answer.
We use these details for planning purposes and to ensure we have accurate elections data in the Sky News system. If much of the count detail is still TBC, it would be helpful if you could let me know at this stage (if you yet know!) whether the votes will be counted overnight on Thursday 2nd May or during the day on Friday 3rd May. And, I'm also keen to know is you will be posting results as they come in or just after all seats are declared.
1. Full name of the council:
2. Count location/ result declaration address:
3. Press Officer contact (phone/ mobile/ email):
4. Electoral Officer contact (phone/ email):
5. Verification start time (and date if not overnight Thursday 2nd):
6. Anticipated Counting start time (and date if not overnight Thursday 2nd):
7. Estimated FIRST WARD DECLARATION time:
8. Estimated FULL COUNCIL DECLARATION time: PUBLICATION of RESULTS:
9. What is the url of the council website where results be published and the twitter handle if you are posting on twitter?
10. Will you post results on your website/twitter DURING THE COUNT as each ward result is declared (or just after all seats are declared) and will that include the no. of votes cast for each candidate in each ward in full, OR only the winner of each seat?
11. If you anticipate publication of seat winners ONLY during the count process, please tell us WHEN you think the no. of votes cast for each candidate in each ward will be published (e.g. Sat 4th May): COUNCIL SEATS DATA:
12. What is the current party composition of the council (the number of seats currently held by each party)?
13. Which party (or parties) control(s) the council? 14. Who is the leader of the council?
Published: 18 June 2019
-
Questions for consideration All of the below questions relate to judicial reviews of planning permission from 2016-2018. Please answer in the formats provided below 1. How many judicial review claims of decisions to award planning permission/consent were received in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018 Year Number of claims 2016 2017 2018 2.. What were the planning application numbers/references of the decisions that were subject to judicial review claims? Year Application Numbers 2016 2017 2018 3. Of the judicial review claims received, how many proceeded to a substantive hearing? Year Number proceeded to hearing 2016 2017 2018 4. Of the claims which proceeded to a substantive hearing, how many were found in favour of the applicant? Year Applicant successful at substantive hearing 2016 2017 2018 5. Of the successful claims, how many resulted in either a quashing order or an injunction being issued? Year Quashing or injunction issued 2016 2017 2018 6. How much was spent by the council on carrying out judicial reviews in 2016, 2017 and 2018? Year Average spent 2016 2017 2018
Published: 18 June 2019
-
Please can you provide me with the name and contact details of the IT Decision Maker who is responsible for the implementation of software in the council.
Published: 17 June 2019
-
As you may be aware, from 1 April 2016 the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended by the Housing and Planning Act 2016) places a number of obligations on all relevant authorities. These include:
1. To keep a register of individuals and associations of individuals who wish to acquire serviced plots of land to build their own homes in the authority's area and to have regard to those registers in carrying out their planning, housing, land disposal and regeneration functions.
2. To give suitable development permission in respect of enough serviced plots to meet the demand. I am writing to you as part of work commissioned by the National Custom & Self Build Association (NaCSBA) with regards the administration of your self build registers with regards the following questions. Question 1 Given that you have, or about to, impose a local connection test with regards your self build register we are requesting the following: 1. The details of the local connection test that is applied. 2. Details of any public consultation undertaken before the test was introduced.
3. The formal papers and the supporting documents that were prepared with regards the decision to impose the local connection test.
In line with legislation/ regulation these should ideally cover:
1. The "strong justification" for imposing the test.
2. The specific "recognised local issue" that gave rise to the test.
3. The "desired effect" that the test is seeking to achieve.
4. The timings for the "periodic reviews".
5. Details of the analysis undertaken since the implementation (if undertaken) of the local connection test to review the approach with regards:
6. The "strong justification" for imposing the test.
7. The specific "recognised local issue" that gave rise to the test.
8. The "desired effect" that the test is seeking to achieve.
9. Other written policies where you apply a local connection test as part of your planning policies or processes, other than for custom and self-build.
Question 2: Given that you have, or about to, impose a charge with regards your self build register we are requesting the following:
The formal papers and the supporting documents that were prepared with regards the decision to impose the charge(s) on the register.
In line with legislation / regulation these should ideally cover: 1. The detailed cost analysis to support the introduction of your charges setting out the justification for each charge imposed.
2. Your analysis to ensure that the charges that you planned to apply would be proportionate and that it should not act as a deterrent.
3. The plans to review your charges to ensure that they remains proportionate, reflects genuine cost and do not act as a deterrent.
3. Details of the analysis undertaken since the implementation of the charge (if undertaken) to ensure that the charge that it remains proportionate, reflects genuine cost and has not and will not act as a deterrent. This should include any impact on the numbers on your register as a result of the change.
Published: 17 June 2019
-
1. The sum of costs awarded by your authority to appellants that have made successful applications for appeal in planning cases in the years: a) 2015 b) 2016 c) 2017 and d) 2018, excluding residential property planning appeals. Please provide the itemisation of the above sums by planning case including planning application number, application date and costs.
2. The sum of money (referring to spend on officer time, on barristers and other legal professionals, on other experts, on venues and as a contribution to overheads plus any other associated costs) spent by your authority preparing for and during planning appeal inquiries in the years a) 2015 b) 2016 c) 2017 and d) 2018, excluding residential property planning appeals. Please provide the itemisation of the above sums by planning case including planning application number, application date and costs.
Published: 17 June 2019
-
Can you please let me know how many residential properties there are in Guildford as follows:-
1.Those with a residential annex or "granny annex" that pay separate council tax on the annex
2.Those with a residential annex or "granny annex" that pay no separate council tax on the annex
3. Those with a business annex in the house or in the garden that pay separate council tax/business tax on the annex
4. Those with a business annex in the house or in the garden that pay no separate council tax/business tax on the annex Could this please be provided at the neighbourhood level. Finally can you provide me with numbers for the total population of houses for context.
Published: 17 June 2019
-
1. For applicant households accommodated by your authority in bed and breakfast hotels (e.g. privately managed, meal(s) provided, shared facilities) or other nightly paid, privately managed accommodation with shared facilities, as of December 31, 2018:
the total number of households in such accommodation o the total number of households in such accommodation for more than 6 weeks but less than 13 weeks
the total number of households in such accommodation for more than 13 weeks but less than 26 weeks o the total number of households in such accommodation for more than 26 weeks but less than 52 weeks
the total number in such accommodation for more than 52 weeks
2. For applicant households accommodated by your authority in bed and breakfast hotels (e.g. privately managed, meal(s) provided, shared facilities) or other nightly paid, privately managed accommodation with shared facilities, as of December 31, 2018
the total number of households with dependent children and / or pregnant woman with no other dependants in such accommodation
the total number of households with dependent children and / or pregnant woman with no other dependants in such accommodation for more than 6 weeks but less than 13 weeks
the total number in such accommodation with dependent children and / or pregnant woman with no other dependants for more than 13 weeks but less than 26 weeks
the total number in such accommodation with dependent children and / or pregnant woman with no other dependants for more than 26 weeks but less than 52 weeks
the total number in such accommodation with dependent children and / or pregnant woman with no other dependants for more than 52 weeks
3. For applicant households accommodated by your authority in bed and breakfast hotels (e.g. privately managed, meal(s) provided, shared facilities) or other nightly paid, privately managed accommodation with shared facilities, as of December 31, 2018:
the total number of children in such accommodation the total number of children in such accommodation for more than 6 weeks but less than 13 weeks
the total number of children in such accommodation for more than 13 weeks but less than 26 weeks
the total number of children in such accommodation for more than 26 weeks but less than 52 weeks
the total number of children in such accommodation for more than 52 weeks
Published: 17 June 2019
-
1. How much money the council has spent on recycling in each year since 2009-10.
2. The number of recycling points in the area covered by the council each year since 2009-10.
3. The number of household waste recycling centres in each year since 2009-10.
4. The number of hours household waste recycling centres have been open each week in each year since 2009-10.
5. The percentage of household waste recycled in the area covered by the council in each year since 2009-10.
6. The percentage of waste from council buildings recycled in each year since 2009-10.
Published: 17 June 2019
-
With this in mind we would like to ask the following questions about your local authority area, where we define a "shisha cafe" as any premise where the sale AND consumption of shisha tobacco occurs on site, and can include restaurants, clubs, lounges, cafes, and other venues. Can you please ensure these questions are answered jointly by Environmental Health and Trading Standards.
Q1. A) How many prosecutions were made for violations of the smoke-free law in 2018?
B) How many of these violations were by shisha cafes?
Q2. Can you please provide the current (2019) estimated number or range of shisha cafes known? Please reply "unknown" if this information is not held. If you have had no shisha cafes in your area in 2018, you do not need to respond to the below questions.
Q3. A) How many inspections were made to shisha cafes by Trading Standards, Environmental Health, or other officers in 2018?
Q3. B) Of these inspections, how many shisha cafes required intervention due to lack of compliance with policies (including tobacco, health and safety, and licensing laws)?
Q3. C) Of these inspections, approximately how many kilograms of illicit shisha tobacco were seized in total?
Q3. D) Of these inspections, how many led to successful prosecutions and what was the total amount ordered to pay from the shisha cafe business?
Q4. In 2018, how many reports of underage smoking were there at shisha cafes?
Q5. In 2018, how many complaints were made for noise and nuisance against shisha cafes?
Q6. Approximately how many hours were spent [per week, month, or year- as applicable] on the enforcement of shisha cafes across Trading Standards, Environmental Health, and other relevant departments in 2018? This may include visiting premises, responding to and processing noise/anti-social behaviour complaints, preparing for prosecutions or writing reports. Please provide a breakdown of the hours allocated to each activity.
Q7. How many officers were allocated to deal with the enforcement of shisha in cafes in 2018? Please provide the payband of those officers. If there is a difference between daytime and evening enforcement, please provide details.
Q8. Please can you provide copies of any checklists, inspections forms, or other tools you use in the enforcement of shisha cafes (if applicable)
Published: 17 June 2019