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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435 disclosures

  1. Water charges in council houses [UNC]

    This request concerns money charged by your council from council tenants for water as part of service charges in council houses.

    1) Please state the total amount charged by the council from council tenants for water as part of their service charges in each of the last ten financial years, and the current financial year to 01.09.17.

    2) Please state the total amount paid by your council to purchase water from Thames Water to supply these tenants for each of the last ten financial years, and the current financial year to 01.09.17.

    3) Please state the total discount received by the council from Thames Water for supplying Thames Water's water to council tenants, in percentage and cash terms, for each of the last ten financial years, and the current financial year to 01.09.17.

    4) Please state the number of tenants currently covered by this arrangement, where your council supplies water on behalf of Thames Water to council tenants as part of service agreement charges in council homes.

    5) Please state the number of complaints received by your council from council tenants about water charges as part of council house service charges for each of the last five financial years, and the current financial year to date.

    6) Please state the amount of money set aside by your council for the possible refunding of charges made to council tenants for water as part of their service charges, due to the ruling against Southwark Council last year on water charges.

    7) Please provide a copy of all council guidance on its legal position regarding the Water Resale Order 2006, and the implications for this on the council being able to act as an agent in terms of the provision of water to its council tenants.

    8) Please state the number of occasions social tenants were evicted from council owned social rented properties due to non-payment of service charges for each of the last five financial years, and the current financial year to date.

    Published: 9 November 2018

  2. Homelessness - storage of possessions

    When a household becomes homeless do you charge them a fee for storing their possessions? If so, can you provide a full breakdown of fees charged for this service to the applicant?

    Published: 9 November 2018

  3. Leased/Financed/Owned Vehicles

    Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act. My questions relate to Guildford Borough Council (the council). I wish to know:

    1) How many vehicles does the council currently lease? *

    2) What is the council's yearly budget for leased vehicles?

    3) How many vehicles does the council currently have on Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)?

    4) What is the council's yearly budget for vehicles on PCP?

    5) How many vehicles does the council currently have on Hire Purchase (HP)?

    6) What is the council's yearly budget for vehicles on HP?

    7) How many vehicles does the council currently own on other types of finance (not leasing, PCP or HP)?

    8) What is the council's yearly budget for vehicles on other types of finance (not leasing, PCP or HP)?

    9) How many vehicles does the council currently own outright?

    10) What is the council's vehicle purchase budget for the past 10 years?

    * Leasing refers to personal contract hire or business contract hire.

    Published: 9 November 2018

  4. Collection of household waste (non-recyclable rubbish)

    1. How often is household waste (i.e. non-recyclable rubbish) collected in your authority? a) weekly b) fortnightly c) other (please specify)

    2. Have you changed the frequency of collections of household waste (i.e. non-recyclable rubbish) since March 1, 2017? a) Yes b) No

    3. If the answer to Q2 is 'yes' please specify the frequency used to be and the date on which the changes came into effect.

    4. Please tell me the current frequency of collections for other types of rubbish (e.g. food waste, other recycling) Please note I am referring to the frequency of bin collections for the majority of addresses in your authority. Please disregard special cases such as high rise flats from your answers.

    Published: 9 November 2018

  5. Garden Waste Disposal Subscription

    Do you charge residents to dispose of garden waste as part of the regular (weekly/fortnightly/monthly) doorstep collection of household waste and recyclables? If you do currently have a charge:

    1) How many households subscribe to this service, and what proportion of all households does this represent?

    2) How much revenue did the charge generate in financial years: a. 2014/5 b. 2015/6 c. 2016/7

    3) Is there currently a plan to increase or decrease the charge over the next three years (for example, in line with inflation, or if the introduction of a charge has been staggered)? If you do not currently have a charge:

    4) Is the council implementing such a charge in the next 24 months?

    5) Please release any plans, proposals, impact assessments or other documents detailing the discussion of options relating to the imposition of a charge on the collection of garden waste.

    Published: 9 November 2018

  6. Planning Appeals - cost applications made and settled by agreement between appellants and Council

    Request for information The Council publishes on its website the agendas and minutes for all planning committee meetings. Generally the final item concerns planning appeals, both allowed and dismissed. In addition and where appropriate, there is a summary of Inspector's decisions in related cases where appellants have made an application for costs. Only a relatively small number of cost applications succeed as they are limited to "unreasonable behaviour" by one of the parties. An even smaller number of decisions include a "full award of costs". When an award is made against the Council, it is assumed that the costs of officers' "unreasonable behaviour" are borne by Council Tax payers. Therefore, there is clear public interest in disclosing the actual costs. It is understood of course that any information should be anonymised. Request for information For the combined years 2015, 2016 and 2017, please state:

    1. How many cost applications for a "full award" have been made and settled by agreement between the appellants and the Council? On the assumption that the total number exceeds six, please state:

    2. The average value (£) of the lowest three final agreed settlements.

    3. The average value (£) of the highest three settlements In the event that there have been less than 6 settlements

    4. Please state the amount of each of those settlements.

    Published: 8 November 2018

  7. Which Parking systems we use enquiry

    1. What software do you use for Parking Enforcement (PCN issue and processing) and when does the current contract end?

    2. What system do you use for cashless (pay by phone) parking and when does the current contract end?

    3. What software do you use for Fixed Penalty Notice enforcement ( FPN issue and processing) and when does the current contract end?

    4. What software do you use to issue parking permits and season tickets and when does the current contract end?

    Published: 8 November 2018

  8. Fire RIsk Assessment on Tower Blocks

    1. When was the last time a fire risk assessment was carried out on housing where council tenants reside where the building has more than six floors?

    1 (a) Please can you provide further details as to how many buildings are under your authority and the details of each report.

    2. Of those assessments in question 1, please can you provide how many were considered high risk (high risk defined as a serious risk to life from fire, substantial quantities of combustible materials, highly flammable substances, or likelihood of the rapid spread of fire, heat or smoke)?

    Published: 8 November 2018

  9. IT Software estate

    1. What is the current number of staff who use a PC or a laptop within your organisation?

    2. What are the current Microsoft software licences (server and desktop) that you are using?

    3. What is your annual IT spend on Microsoft licences?

    4. Has your organisation moved, or is planning to move, to the Cloud in the next 12 months?

    5. Are you due to undertake a review of your software estate in the next 12 months?

    Published: 7 November 2018

  10. FOI on complaints received regarding landlords of private rented properties

    I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. 1) Between July 2016 and July 2018, how many complaints were received by your local authority regarding landlords of private rented properties? 2) How many of those complaints related to: a) Failure to do repairs b) Failure to return deposits c) 'Category 1' hazards - please provide details. d) Wrongful eviction e) Rent increases f) Other 3) During the same period, how many times did your local authority: a) Carry out an inspection on a private rented property? b) Start legal proceedings against a landlord? Of those, how many resulted in a successful prosecutions, and if so please provide details including penalties.

    Published: 7 November 2018