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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141 disclosures

  1. Smoke from domestic fires (non smoke control areas)

    Question 1: Do you record every complaint you get from residents about domestic burning? Question 2: Please state how many complaints your local authority has received about smoke from domestic fires from 1st Sept 2024 to 31st August 2025 inclusive? Question 3: Please state the number of actions taken by your local authority, in the following categories, from 1st Sept 2024 to 31st August 2025 inclusive: a) Warning or guidance letters b) Inspections c) Penalty notices d) Prosecutions Question 4: Please provide a copy of any guidance issued internally to council officers regarding domestic burning? Question 5: Please provide a copy of any reports or guidance produced by your council relating to the local implementation of the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards)(England) Regulations 2020 from 1 May 2021.

    Published: 15 September 2025

  2. Housing Sect 106

    I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, looking at the use of Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and its use in the provision of affordable housing. Please may you provide me with data per annum on the following questions: 1. What is the unit count of affordable housing that has been developed, or is currently being developed by the council in the last 5 years. 2. How many social homes/ developments in the last 5 years were agreed with and under Section 106, in order to mitigate the impact of the developments upon surrounding communities? 3. How many of these social homes delivered under Section 106 are currently unoccupied with no buyer or social landlord? 4. Are there any Section 106 building sites currently delayed due to uncontracted units, and if so, how many? I would like this information to be provided in this format: Annual breakdown of figures for each year up to 2025: 2020: 2021: 2022: 2023: 2024:

    Published: 15 September 2025

  3. Football pitches owned and operated by the council

    • How many football pitches did the council own on 1 January of each of the following years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025? • Of football pitches owned by the council, how many did the council operate on 1 January of each of the following years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025? • How many football pitches owned by the council were closed down or sold in each of the following years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025?

    Published: 15 September 2025

  4. Out-of-borough temporary accommodation

    I am requesting some information under the Freedom of Information Act, pertaining to homeless households in out-of-borough temporary accommodation. This FOI is similar to a previous one I filed last month, but I have refined it based on feedback. If you have not yet responded to the previous one, please close that request and do this one instead. At the bottom of this email I have included an example table for how to provide the data, though another format is acceptable if needed. If you cannot provide all the data, please provide the parts you can, and clearly mark the parts you cannot provide. If you have advice on how I could refine my request, that would be appreciated. Please provide this data for three (3) periods of time: Jan 2023-Dec 2023; Jan 2024-Dec 2024; and Jan 2025-June 2025. 1. The number of homeless households placed by your council in out-of-borough temporary accommodation during the time period, and of these the number of households with children - broken down by borough/district placed in 2. The number of households that your council received Section 208 notices from other councils during that time period, and of these the number of households with children - broken down by borough/district received from. Here is an example table, for how I would prefer the data to be provided, but other formats are acceptable. Jan 2025-June 2025 Jan 2025-June 2025 Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 Jan 2023 - Dec 2023 Jan 2023 - Dec 2023 Households placed out of borough Total households Households with children (under 18) Total households Households with children (under 18) Total households Households with children (under 18) Total new out of borough placements made during time period Total out of borough placements in [X council] Total out of borough placements in [X council] Jan 2025-June 2025 Jan 2025-June 2025 Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 Jan 2023 - Dec 2023 Jan 2023 - Dec 2023 Section 208 notices received Total households Households with children (under 18) Total households Households with children (under 18) Total households Households with children (under 18) Total Section 208 notices received during time period Section 208 notices received from [X council] Section 208 notices received from [X council]

    Published: 15 September 2025

  5. Temporary Accommodation

    The number of households awaiting temporary accommodation and in temporary accommodation on the most recent date available (please state the date). The same figure on 31 March 2025 (or nearest date available), and 31 August 2024. A breakdown, for the most recent date, of: • Households with children • Single adult households • Households in B&B / nightly paid accommodation • Households placed outside the local authority area in each of the last 12 months. • The total number of households placed into temporary accommodation in each of the last 12 months (monthly figures if available). Please supply the data in electronic format (Excel or CSV preferred). If any of this information is not held, please provide what you do hold and state the date(s) covered.

    Published: 15 September 2025

  6. FOI request: Net Zero Commitments

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding you council's commitments and progress toward net zero emissions. 1. Has your council committed to a specific Net Zero target year, and if so, what year? 2. What significant changes have you made - if any - since your net zero goals were set? Select all that apply: * Measured real-time energy usage and performance metrics * Retrofitted existing buildings to improve energy efficiency (e.g. upgrading BMS) * Conducted energy audits or heat decarbonisation plans * Invested in renewable technologies * Electrified infrastructure (EVs, buildings, heating systems) * Other (free text) 3. What percentage of your council's energy consumption is currently sourced from fossil fuels? 4. Has your council received any government or private funding for decarbonisation or energy efficiency initiatives in the past 3 years? If yes, where has this been spent? 5. What are the biggest barriers you're facing when it comes to decarbonisation? Select all that apply: * Culture * Knowledge * Technology * Budget 6. Are you confident that you will deliver on net zero by 2050? * Yes * No * Unsure

    Published: 15 September 2025

  7. Council workforce sickness absence

    This is a freedom of information request regarding sickness absence in your council workforce.

    I am looking for information for 2024-25, 2023-24 and 2022-23.

    Please provide me with:

    1. The total number of sickness days for each year.

    2. The total number of long term sickness days for each year.

    3. The average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee for each year.

    4. The total cost of sickness days for each year.

    5. The total cost of long term sickness days for each year.

    6. The number of employees on long term sickness at any point in each year.

    2024-25 2023-24 2022-23

    Total number of sickness days

    Total number of long term sickness days

    Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee Total cost of sickness days

    Total cost of long term sickness days

    Number of employees on long term sickness at any point in the year

    7. A breakdown of sickness days by reason for each year.

    For example: mental ill-health, musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, etc. I understand that your council may categorise reasons differently, please use whichever ones your HR system collects.

    Reason

    Number of sickness days for 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23

    Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Etc.

    8. A breakdown of sickness days by department for each year, for example: communications, legal, finance, planning, adult social care, etc. I understand that your council may be organised differently, please use whichever categories your HR system uses.

    Please provide me with the percentage of employees on long term sickness, the average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee and the percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days.

    Department 2024-25

    Percentage of employees on long term sickness

    Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days Department 1

    Department 2

    Department 3 Etc.

    Department

    2023-24

    Percentage of employees on long term sickness

    Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days Department 1 Department 2 Department 3 Etc.

    Department 2022-23

    Percentage of employees on long term sickness

    Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days Department 1 Department 2 Department 3 Etc.

    If data is not available for any particular category, please provide the closest equivalent data.

    Published: 15 September 2025

  8. Dog Fouling and Dog-Related Issues in Public Parks

    Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information regarding dog fouling and dog-related issues within your local authority area, covering the most recent full calendar year (or the latest data available): General Area Data: 1. The number of fines issued for dog fouling offences. 2. The total number of dog-fouling-related complaints received. 3. The number of dedicated dog waste bins is currently provided by the council. Park-Specific Data: 1. A list of public parks managed by the council. 1. For each park: * The number of dog-related complaints received. * Of those, how many are specifically related to dog fouling? 1. Which park received: * The highest number of dog-related complaints. * The lowest number of dog-related complaints. If data is available for more than one year and can be provided within the cost limits, please include a breakdown by year.

    Published: 12 September 2025

  9. Special Expenses

    Phase 1 – Priority Information (Financial Year 2024 -25) 1. Actual Cost of Services – 2024/25 * Confirmation of the actual cost of services funded through RTW Special Expenses for the 2024/25 financial year, including the total budgeted amount and any forecast outturn if available, together with a breakdown of the principal areas of expenditure. 2. Capital Financing Charges * Confirmation of whether RTW Special Expenses currently include capital financing charges; * If so: * The amount charged in the most recent financial year. * The method used to calculate these charges. 3. SE Increases and Basis of Calculation * Confirmation of whether Special Expenses were automatically increased in line with Borough-wide council tax rises in the most recent financial year, regardless of actual service cost changes. * If so, please provide: * The policy or rationale for this practice. * Any council reports or decisions authorising this approach. * The percentage and monetary change in RTW SE for that year. 4. Year-End Surpluses and Deficits * How the year-end surplus or deficit for RTW SE in the most recent financial year was treated in the Council’s accounts. * Whether any amount was carried forward or absorbed into the Borough’s General Fund. * Summary figures for that surplus or deficit. * Any supporting documentation or policies confirming the treatment. 5. Staff Costs * Details of staff costs currently included in RTW SE for the most recent financial year, including: * The roles or services these staff support. * The methodology used to apportion staff time and cost to Special Expenses. * How staff time spent on borough-wide or corporate functions is excluded.

    Published: 10 September 2025

  10. Closure of Council run services

    Please list all council-run public services (from the list below) which have closed since 2020 to date as a result of budget cuts/reductions in council spending. Please include the following services in your response: * Swimming pools/leisure centres * Libraries * Youth centres * Community centres * Venues which provide support services - eg luncheon clubs, social clubs * Children’s centres * Art galleries/museums * Parks * Theatres * Golf courses * Any other council services/venues which provide leisure/cultural/social provision for the community. Where a service has ceased to be operated by the council, but has remained open due to a community/charity transfer, please provide details of this. Please respond in the following format: * Name of building/service * Date closed/transferred to community or charity provider Please do not include any temporary closures as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. I am only requesting information on closures related to financial decisions.

    Published: 10 September 2025