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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320 disclosures

  1. Traveller sites/pitches

    1 How many permanent residential caravan sites are in your local authority? Of these sites, how many are set up and available for travellers to move to?

    2 How many permanent residential pitches are in your local authority? Of these pitches, how many are available and set up for new traveller tenants?

    3 How many transit caravan sites are in your local authority? How many are available and set up for travellers to move to?

    4 How many households are on your waitlist for a suitable pitch on a traveller site?

    5 Did you apply for funding to build traveller pitches as part of the 2016 - 2023 Affordable Homes Programme? If so, how much funding did you receive? And how many pitches did you build?

    6 Have you applied for funding for new traveller pitches under the Strategic Partnership route of the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036?

    Published: 11 May 2026

  2. Council tax arrears

    Under the Freedom of Information Act, and with relation to your local authority, can you please provide me with the following information? 1. The total amount owed to the council in council tax arrears within your local authority on the latest date which figures were available. 2. The total number of people who are currently in arrears of payment of their council tax to your local authority (arrears defined as having missed at least one payment)? 3. The total number of people who currently have debt management procedures commenced against them by your authority for non-payment of council tax (including those under any escalation process in debt recovery, receiving e.g. automated reminders, letter before action and referral to debt collection agency)? 4. The total number of people who have had court proceedings begun against them relating to non-payment of council tax in your local authority in 2023/24 and 2024/25?

    Published: 11 May 2026

  3. Kerbside Collection of Plastic Plant Pots

    I would like to understand your authority’s position on the collection of non-black plastic plant pots as part of household recycling services. Please could you provide responses to the following: 1. Does your authority currently collect non-black plastic plant pots for recycling at the kerbside? (Yes / No) 2. If yes, how long has your authority been collecting non-black plastic plant pots for recycling? 3. If no, does your authority intend to begin collecting non-black plastic plant pots? (Yes / No) o If yes, please provide the expected timeline for implementation. 4. What waste collection or waste management contractor(s) does your authority use for kerbside recycling services?

    Published: 11 May 2026

  4. Art

    1. The number of works of art the council owned on 30 April 2026 2. The number of works of art the council sold between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026 3. For every item sold in that period, please list the name of the work, the artist, and the year, if known. 4. The number of works of art the council purchased between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026 5. The number of works of art the council had on public display on 30 April 2026

    Published: 11 May 2026

  5. Usage of Artifical Intelligence within Councils

    A. Does your organization utilize any form of Artificial Intelligence or automated systems within its operations?

    B. If yes, please list specific tools, programs or platforms in use and identify which service areas they are deployed in. (E.g., social care, housing, customer services).

    C. Are any artificial intelligence tools being piloted, please provide brief details of its purpose, timeline and evaluation criteria if so.

    D. Do you have any AI tools specifically used for social care, housing services, bin routes or housing services?

    Efficiency & Impact

    A. Has use of AI boosted efficiency within your organization?

    B. Has there been any formal or informal measurement of time saved, and efficiency gained because of artificial implementation? If so, please provide the findings.

    C. Can you identify specific areas where it has worked well?

    D. How much of the staff within your organization has access to AI tools?

    Governance & Policy

    A. Do you have a formal AI strategy, policy or governance board in place? If so, please provide a copy or a link to it.

    B. Is a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) or any similar procedure required before any AI tool is deployed?

    C. Has an Equality Impact Assessment been completed for any AI tools in use?

    D. Do you require human oversight for AI-assisted outputs or decisions? Please describe how this is enforced.

    E. Is there a designated individual or team responsible for AI oversight within your organization?

    Ethics & Privacy

    A. How have ethical risks such as bias, or privacy been addressed in the usage of AI within your organization?

    B. How do you address risks of bias, particularly in services affecting vulnerable groups such as children, elderly residents, or benefit claimants?

    C. Are residents informed when AI has been involved within decisions or communications affecting them? If so, how?

    Staff & Culture

    A. Has your organization provided training or guidance regarding the usage of AI tools?

    B. How have staff concerns around AI, such as job displacement been addressed?

    Future Plans

    A. Are there any AI tools, pilots or strategies planned for the next 12-24 months? If yes, please provide detail.

    Published: 11 May 2026

  6. Personal injury claims against council

    I am requesting this information under the Freedom of Information Act. Could you please provide data in response to the following questions: 1. What is the total number of personal injury claims recorded against your council for the last three tax years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25), broken down by year? 2. How many of those claims outlined in question 1 were submitted: · By employees · By members of the public 3. What was the total amount paid out by your council as the result of personal injury claims against your council for the last three tax years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25), broken down by year? 4. What were the most common types of claim recorded against your council during the last three tax years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25), including but not limited to the following examples: - Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) - Accidents at Work - Public Liability Claims - Industrial Disease - Animal Accidents - Criminal Injuries - Travel Accidents - Negligence

    Published: 6 May 2026

  7. Taxi licensing

    Please find my request detailed below: 1. The name and job title of the officer responsible for the management of taxi licensing within your authority, along with their contact telephone number and email address. 2. Details of the system currently used to administer taxi licensing, including: * The name of the software or platform used, or confirmation if applications are managed using alternative methods (such as Word, Excel, PDF, or GOV.UK) * Contract start date and end date * Contract length * Contract value, where this information is held

    Published: 1 May 2026

  8. Stray cats

    1. The number of stray cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025 2. The number of those stray cats that were microchipped in accordance with the regulations (The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023) 3. The number of deceased cats collected by the Authority in the calendar year 2025 4. The number of those deceased cats whose owners were identified from a microchip 5. Are council tenants required to microchip their pet cats as part of their tenancy agreement? Y/N 6. The number of council tenants currently registered as owning a microchipped cat 7. The number of 21-day enforcement notices issued for failing to microchip a cat in the calendar year 2025 8. The number of cats handed over to the Authority for rescue or rehoming in 2025

    Published: 1 May 2026

  9. Business Rates Software

    Under the Freedom of information act, could I please confirm the name of the business rates software used by yourselves

    Published: 29 April 2026

  10. Use of bailiffs to collect council tax debt in 2025/26

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we would like to request the following information. 1. Tax year 25/26: The number of times between 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026 that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce council tax debts owed to the local authority. By “private bailiffs/enforcement agents” we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control. 2. Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support / Reduction from the use of bailiff action? (Yes/No)

    Published: 29 April 2026