FOI release

Temporary accommodation data - out of area

Case reference FOI2026/01217

Received 27 July 2026

Published 4 August 2026

Request

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 specifically related to the number of households placed out of area by your local authority (LA) in temporary accommodation (TA) over specific timeframes. Please provide the following single-year totals for FY 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 and April 2026 - June 30 2026 1. Households placed out-of-area in TA a) Total number of households your council accommodated in out-of-area TA at any point during the year; and b) Of (a), the number of households with children. 2. Section 208 notifications (totals only) a) Total number of Section 208 (out of district) notifications sent by your council during the year (relating to your out-of-area placements); and b) Total number of Section 208 notifications received from other authorities during the year (relating to households they placed into TA within your area, also name the council who received the notification from). 3. Cost to the council of out-of-area TA (totals only) a) Total gross expenditure by your council on out-of-area TA during the year; and b) If your accounts/reporting hold it without manual casework: total income/recoveries attributable to out-of-area TA during the year (however recorded in your systems), and the resulting net cost (gross minus income/recoveries). If (b) is not held in a way that can be attributed specifically to out-of-area TA, please state “not held”.

Response

Please provide the following single-year totals for FY 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 and April 2026 - June 30 2026

1. Households placed out-of-area in TA a) Total number of households your council accommodated in out-of-area TA at any point during the year; and b) Of (a), the number of households with children.

2023/24 - a) 117, b) 39

2024/25 - a) 53, b) 15

2025/26 - a) 49, b) 8

2026/27 (until 30/6) - a) 2, b) 0

2. Section 208 notifications (totals only) a) Total number of Section 208 (out of district) notifications sent by your council during the year (relating to your out-of-area placements); and b) Total number of Section 208 notifications received from other authorities during the year (relating to households they placed into TA within your area, also name the council who received the notification from).

2023/24 - a) unknown, b) Sevenoaks - 3, Tonbridge & Malling - 30, Maidstone - 1, Rother - 3 (Total - 37)

2024/25 - a) unknown, b) Tonbridge & Malling - 12, Lewes/Eastbourne - 1, Thanet - 1, Greenwhich - 1 (Total - 15)

2025/26 - a) unknown, b) Tonbridge & Malling - 30, Lewes & Eastbourne - 3, Sevenoaks - 6, Cantebury - 2 (Total - 41)

2026/27 (until 30/6) a) unknown, b) Tonbridge & Malling - 2, Sevenoaks - 1 (Total - 3)

3. Cost to the council of out-of-area TA (totals only) a) Total gross expenditure by your council on out-of-area TA during the year; and b) If your accounts/reporting hold it without manual casework: total income/recoveries attributable to out-of-area TA during the year (however recorded in your systems), and the resulting net cost (gross minus income/recoveries).

If (b) is not held in a way that can be attributed specifically to out-of-area TA, please state “not held”.

Not held

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.