Freedom of information (FOI) releases from TWBC

This is a disclosure log of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

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230 disclosures

  1. Agency Staffing for Internal and External Communications

    Request for Information: I request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (or the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002) regarding recruitment agency usage for communications roles. Definition of Scope: For the purposes of this request, "communications" refers to the general department or function that encompasses: Internal or external communications functions; The press office or media relations; Social media management; Marketing functions (where these sit within the communications structure). Please provide the following data: 1. 2025/26 Actuals and Outturn Forecast 1a. Provide the total number of days a temporary worker was employed via an agency for the communications roles defined above from 6 April 2025 to the date of this request. 1b. Provide the council’s current projected year-end outturn for the total number of agency days for these roles for the full 2025/26 financial year (ending 31 March 2026). 1c. Provide a breakdown of these days (actual and forecast) by job grade or title (e.g., Communications Officer, Senior Communications Officer, Communications Manager). 2. 2026/27 Planned Requirements 2a. Provide the total number of days currently budgeted or forecasted for agency-provided communications staff for the 2026/27 financial year. 2b. Provide a breakdown of this requirement by job grade or title. 2c. Financial Qualifier: Note that I am requesting the currently held financial forecasts and draft budget allocations for 2026/27 as they exist at the time of this request. If these forecasts do not yet segment requirements by specific job title, please provide the department's overall forecasted budget or total "headcount days" for temporary agency workers within the communications function.

    Published: 8 January 2026

  2. Managed migration resulting in changes to council tax bills and social care costs

    As a billing authority you will have been notified by the Department for Work and Pensions when an ESA claimant is migrated to UC. As a result you will have recalculated their council tax and any reduction they were getting. Therefore, I request the following information about this group: How many ESA to UC claimants have you been notified about? How many have seen their council tax bill increase? How many have remained the same? How many have decreased? While not every claimant who migrated from ESA to UC will be getting social care, some will. Therefore please share the following information. How many ESA to UC claimants are getting social care? How many have seen their social care charges increase? How many have remained the same? How many have decreased? Please provide response in excel format

    Published: 8 January 2026

  3. Council travel expenses 2024/25

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I am writing to request the following information relating to travel expenses incurred by the council during the municipal year 2024/25 (or most recent full year for which data are available). Please provide: * The total amount spent by the council on travel expenses for council officers and staff (e.g. reimbursements, travel-related costs such as train/bus fares, parking fees/permits, taxi fares, mileage, etc.). * The total amount spent on travel expenses for councillors (non-Mayoral), including a breakdown by purpose (e.g. attending meetings, courses/conferences, panel meetings, external obligations). * If possible, a summary or itemised breakdown (by category or type) of the travel expenses — e.g. staff vs councillors vs mayor; domestic vs international travel; transport type (train, bus, car/taxi, parking, etc.). * Copies of any policy documents (or the section of the Council’s travel/expenses policy) that govern reimbursements for travel by staff, councillors. * If available, a log (or summary) of all trips abroad or outside the Borough that were paid for or reimbursed by the Council in 2024/25 — including date, destination, purpose (e.g. official, civic, conference) and cost. Please supply the information electronically, preferably in a spreadsheet or other machine-readable format.

    Published: 7 January 2026

  4. IT software

    I am writing to you to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding your IT service management (ITSM) software. 1. Total number of employees 2. Total number of IT service desk agents 3. Existing service desk / ITSM software used 4. Deployment model (Cloud-based or on-premise) 5. Number of software licenses 6. Contract renewal date 7. Annual cost of contract 8. Total cost of contract 9. Contract review date 10. Main decision maker/contact for service desk software

    Published: 7 January 2026

  5. PCNs

    1. Which single street in your council area has produced the highest income from traffic or parking violations (income just from Penalty Charges Notices - PCNs) in the 2024/2025 financial year? 2. Please provide details of the number of tickets issued to motorists paying traffic or parking violations fine in relation to this single street in the 2024/25 financial year, and what the violations were? (eg. parking, driving in bus lanes etc) 3. Please provide details of the total income to the council from the number of tickets issued of motorists paying traffic or parking violations fine in relation to this single street in the 2024/25 financial year 4. What was the total number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued across the entire council area in the 2024/2025 financial year, and what was the total income received by the council from these PCNs during this period?

    Published: 7 January 2026

  6. Caravan and Campsite Licencing

    Please may we have a register held by the council of camping sites licenced by the council under Section 269 of the 1936 Public Health Act, and touring caravan sites as licenced under the 1960 Caravan Sites Act (Part 1, ss. 3)? We're not looking for information on sites that are operating under permitted development, mobile home sites or sites that are certificated by clubs like the CAMC under the second schedule of the 1960 Caravan Sites Act.

    Published: 6 January 2026

  7. Cyber security for citizens data

    • Who does the authority partner with to purchase their cyber security solutions?

    • Which supplier provides the authority's endpoint solution software?

    • When is the current renewal date for the authority's endpoint solution software?

    • Does the authority carry out penetration tests and if so, when was the last test carried out?

    Published: 2 January 2026

  8. Refugees settled in TW

    1. The number of Syrian refugees that have been settled in Tunbridge Wells between 1st September 2015 and 20th December 2025.

    1. The number Ukrainian refugees that have been settled in Tunbridge Wells between 1st March 2022 and 20th December 2025.

    Published: 24 December 2025

  9. Noise Complaints Data

    I would like to request the number of noise complaints recorded within your council between: 01 Jan - Dec 31st 2024 01 Jan - Dec 31st 2025 If possible, I would love a breakdown of the different wards / areas within your jurisdiction.

    Published: 22 December 2025

  10. Rural Rates Relief

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information regarding Rural Rate Relief.

    For the financial years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 (where available), please provide:

    1. A list of businesses in your local authority that received rural rates relief in each year

    2. The individual rateable values of these businesses in that year

    3. The category of each eligible business (general store, food shop, post office, public house, or petrol station)

    4. If possible, also provide the number of businesses whose rateable values were increased between financial years so that they exceeded the threshold of eligibility for business rates relief If this would exceed the cost limit, or be otherwise impossible to release under the Act, please instead provide the following:

    1. The number of businesses that received rural rates relief in each specified year

    2. A breakdown of how many of these businesses were general stores, food shops, post offices, public houses, or petrol stations

    3. The number of businesses that became ineligible for RRR because their rateable value had risen above the threshold of eligibility

    Please provide any information in a XLS or CSV format.

    Published: 22 December 2025