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01/03/2013
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Printing and Postage Expenditure
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Date responded
|
14/03/2013
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Questions
|
1) The overall cost of printing by the Council for the financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 broken down by
year
2) The cost of printing for each of these years broken down by Council departments
3) The cost of printing for each of these years by the council's internal printing service if one exists
4) The cost of printing for each of these years by any external supplier
5) The cost of postage for each of these years.
By printing, I mean leaflets, letters and information published and / or sent to residents, businesses etc as well as
internal documents for use by council officers and councillors.
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Response
|
The information is provided in the two documents attached.
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Associated
documents
|
 PDF
Questions 1, 3, 4, 5
(29 KB)
PDF
Question 2
(33 KB)
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01/03/2013
|
Loss of equipment and information security policy
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Date responded
|
27/03/2013
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Questions
|
1. How many laptops were lost by council employees in 2011?
2. How many laptops were lost by council employees in 2012?
3. How many USB keys containing council-related data were lost in 2011?
4. How many USB keys containing council-related data were lost in 2012?
5. Are consumer file storage and sync tools such as (Dropbox and SugarSync) blacklisted in your organisation? i.e.
Are these tools blocked from end users?
6. Does the council have a mobile working policy?
7. Can council workers use their own devices to access and work on government content? For example, mobile
phones, laptops and tablets
8. Can the Council guarantee that all the councils’ sensitive data is encrypted on all laptops?
9. Does the council use enterprise collaboration software? SharePoint for example?
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Response
|
1. None reported lost
2. None reported lost
3. None reported lost
4. None reported lost
5. Yes they are blacklisted..
6. The council has an information security policy which covers the use of laptops and usb keys
7. Staff are not permitted to use their own devices to work on government content. Access to council or governement data can only be obtained via a thin client application which is configured to prevent downloading of data to the local device
8. All council laptops are encrypted
9. No
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01/03/2013
|
Affect of Bedroom tax on Rent arrears
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Date responded
|
18/03/2013
|
Questions
|
I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act (please note questions 1-3 only apply to councils that still have their own council housing stock):
1. The proportion of all council housing tenants who fell into rent arrears during the most recent financial year for which full-year data is available (please state which financial year this is).
2. Any forecast/estimate of the proportion (or failing that, number) of council housing tenants in the council area who are affected by the bedroom tax who will fall into rent arrears in 2013/14. To be clear, this is seeking the proportion of council housing tenants affected by the bedroom tax who will fall into arrears. It is not asking what proportion of all council housing tenants will be affected by the bedroom tax.
3. Any over-arching definition or methodology the council has used in determining the number of bedrooms in council housing properties, for the purposes of assessing under-occupation of council housing properties with regards to the bedroom tax
4. Any over-arching definition or methodology the council has asked registered social landlords to use in determining the number of bedrooms in social/affordable housing properties, for the purposes of assessing under-occupation of social/affordable housing with regards to the bedroom tax
5. Any over-arching definition or methodology that registered social landlords have used in determining the number of bedrooms in social/affordable housing properties, for the purposes of assessing under-occupation of social/affordable housing with regards to the bedroom tax.
6. Any forecast/estimate of the proportion (or failing that, number) of registered social landlord tenants in the council area who are affected by the bedroom tax who will fall into rent arrears in 2013/14. To be clear, this is seeking the proportion of RSL tenants affected by the bedroom tax who will fall into arrears. It is not asking what proportion of all RSL tenants will be affected by the bedroom tax. The information may be provided individually for different RSLs, or combined for a number of RSLs, or combined for all RSLs (the preference would be for separate data for different RSLs, but this is not cast in stone).
|
Response
|
1. 2011/12 – 23.05% of tenancies were subject to first stage rent arrears recovery (this includes tenants who cleared arrears and may have fallen back into arrears again within the financial year).
2. This is not recorded information - we are unable to provide estimates
3. Landlord decision on what constitutes a bedroom space.
4. Taken from property records and what a landlord had defined as a bedroom.
5. Taken from property records and what a landlord had defined as a bedroom.
6. This is not recorded information - we are unable to provide estimates
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|
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04/03/2013
|
SDC funding of trip to Denmark and Holland.
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Date responded
|
06/03/2013
|
Questions
|
Thank you ***Redacted*** for your lack of information, I will of course assume your lack of help is covering up some aspect of your Council's previous actions.
When asking for information under the Freedom for Information Act 2000 your obligation is to provide all the information not just the bits you think relevent. My questions were specific.
I'll try again, what was the name of the organisation that ***Redacted*** used when submitting his request for the funding for 5 people including a District Councillor for a trip to Denmark and Holland?
I am not asking for your opinion, I am asking you to provide evidence that the Stonehouse Town Council supported this application. Please provide written evidence that what you say is true. I will of course pay any reasonable photocopying charges. I do not believe that my request extends the amount time spent in investigating documents that you have already accessed to provide your initial response.
Just so that you are clear about my desire to have this information in the public domain I list below my actions if you continue to restrict access to this information:-
1. Lodge my complaint with the FOI Commissioner.
2. Contact Mr Woodward at Stroud District Council (Legal Dept).
3. Take independent legal advice.
Regards,
***Redacted***
|
Response
|
Dear ***Redacted***
Re: Freedom of Information Request.
SDC funding for Denmark and Holland
Thank you for your Freedom of Information Request received in this office on 04/03/2013.
You have requested confirmation of the name of the organization requesting funding for a trip to Denmark and or Holland; and copies of any documents evidencing Stonehouse Town Council’s support for the application.
The name of the organization used during correspondence with Stroud District Council is “Stonehouse High Street Working Group”.
The Local Authority no longer holds any other information submitted in connection with the application apart from two emails which I have included in this response for your convenience.
If you have any complaint about the way in which your request for information has been handled, please write to the Council’s Legal Services Manager for a review. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction then you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a review.
Yours Sincerely,
Ricardo Rios
Planning Technician
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
FOI response
(154 KB)
PDF
FOI attachment
(56 KB)
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05/03/2013
|
CCTV and CCTV “smart cars” to issue moving traffic contraventions and parking contraventions
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Date responded
|
06/03/2013
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Questions
|
I am writing to obtain information about your authority’s use of CCTV and CCTV “smart cars” to issue moving traffic contraventions and parking contraventions notices (sometimes called Fixed Penalty Notices).
To outline my query as clearly as possible, I am requesting:
1) How many CCTV Smart cars does your authority currently own and/or operate?
2) A total number of the moving traffic contraventions and parking contraventions captured by the authority’s CCTV Smart car(s) in the period 1 March 2008 – 1st March 2013?
3) The total income obtained through fixed penalty notices resulting from the above penalties captured by X council’s CCTV Smart car(s) in the period 1 March 2008 – 1st March 2013?
4) A total number of the moving traffic contraventions and parking contraventions captured by the your authority’s public space CCTV cameras in the period 1 March 2008 – 1st March 2013?
5) The total income obtained through fixed penalty notices resulting from the above penalties captured by your authority’s public space CCTV cameras in the period 1 March 2008 – 1st March 2013?
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Response
|
In response to your request under the Freedom of Information Act, i am able to provide the following response.
1. Stroud District Council does not operate CCTV smart cars.
2. 0
3. £0
4. The council does not have any CCTV cameras that capture moving traffic and parking contraventions
5. £0
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07/03/2013
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Software for the management of key activities in local government
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Date responded
|
04/04/2013
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Questions
|
We are currently investigating the use of software for the management of key activities in local government. I would
be grateful if you could provide me with answers to the following three questions under the Freedom of Information
Act for each of the activities listed below:
1. Who provides the software (inhouse/name of third party provider)
2. If you have changed provider in the past 5 years when did you change?
3. If you have changed provider in the past 5 years, who was the previous supplier (please put ‘in house’ if
previous software was in house).
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Response
|
See Attached spreadsheet for information
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
response to request
(23 KB)
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|
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07/03/2013
|
Compulsory Purchase Orders
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Date responded
|
28/03/2013
|
Questions
|
I would like to request all Compulsory Purchase Orders which the council have conducted over the past 15 years. Account amounts, the properties involved and who is entitled to the money.
I also require details relating to money held on account resulting from Enforced Sales from the past 15 years. Account amounts, the properties involved and who is entitled to the money.
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Response
|
Dear Ms Skinner
With reference to your FOI below:
Q. I would like to request all Compulsory Purchase Orders which the council have conducted over the past 15 years, the properties involved and who is entitled to the money.
A. To access the CPO notices including information on names of owners and details of properties please use the attached link http://www.stroud.gov.uk/PLO/Default.aspx and insert the following application numbers under “Simple Search”.
S.11/0363/MISC - Ocean Swing Bridge Court Farm Mews, Bristol Road, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
S.10/2579/MISC - Land At Capels Mill Dr Newtons Way, Stroud, Gloucestershire
S.10/2481/MISC - Canal Iron Works London Road, Brimscombe, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2SH
Please click on the "+" to view full details of the individual application. Under the tab Associated Documents you will find the CPO notices.
Q. Account amounts for CPO’s
A. We do not understand what is meant by account amounts, please explain.
Q. I also require details relating to money held on account resulting from Enforced Sales from the past 15 years. Account amounts, the properties involved and who is entitled to the money.
A. There haven’t been any Enforced Sales.
If you have any complaint in respect of the way in which your request for information was handled please write to the Council’s Legal Services Manager for a review. Should you remain dissatisfied with the Council’s response you can write to the Information Commissioner for a decision.
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|
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07/03/2013
|
Compromise agreements
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Date responded
|
05/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1) How many Non Disclosure agreements have been issued following a redundancy payout in the past three years broken down by year - 2010, 2011, 2012
2) How much was the redundancy pay out in each case?
3) How many breaches of Non Disclosure agreements have been recorded?
4) Has any action ever been taken against a former employee for breaching a non-disclosure agreement?
1) How many Compromise agreements have been issued in the past three years broken down by year - 2010, 2011, 2012
2) How much was the pay out in each case?
3) How many breaches of Compromise agreements have been recorded?
4) Has any action ever been taken against a former employee for breaching a non-disclosure agreement?
If it is not possible to provide a breakdown of payments please provide over the past three years, making it clear which year they were agreed.
Please provide the response to this FOI in an excel document in a separate email with the subject line reading COMPROMISE AGREEMENTS.
|
Response
|
1. The Council has not issued any Non Disclosure agreements following a redundancy payout in the years 2010, 2011, 2012.
2. NA
3. NA
4. NA
1. Compromise agreements issued by year: 2010 = 0; 2011 = 0; 2012 = 3
2. Year 2012: (I) £30,000; (II) £9,515; (III) £22,500
3. No breaches have been recorded.
4. NA
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08/03/2013
|
Clean Neighborhood Act 2005
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Date responded
|
28/03/2013
|
Questions
|
We have been asked to compile a survey for the British Retail Consortium on Council charges for abandoned supermarket trolleys under the EVPA1990 and Clean Neighborhood Act 2005.
Could you please complete the form below.
Council name/Contact -
Have you implemented the said act?
What is your agreed charge for the collection of an abandoned trolley?
What is your trolley storage cost (per day)?
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Response
|
Q1 - Stroud District Council – Carlos Novoth
Q2 - I can confirm that this council does not charge for retrieving trolleys
Q3 - N/A
Q4 - N/A
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|
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08/03/2013
|
Repairs to Boiler and Timer
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Date responded
|
20/03/2013
|
Questions
|
Please can you tell me and list how much has been spent on repairs to my boiler & timer (do not include radiator leaks) since April 2005?
|
Response
|
The analysis of the call history and associated costs is shown in the attached spreadsheet. A total of £898.23 has been spent.
The previous gas service and repair contracts that SDC entered into allowed for costs per repair to be invoiced by the contractors. The current contract with PH Jones (since 2009) is an annual fixed cost per property; this applies to all properties and is a necessary cost in discharging our duties as a landlord to ensure gas safety. Therefore the annual cost has not been shown in the above figures.
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
Gas Works Orders - 24 The Close, Whitminster
(25 KB)
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11/03/2013
|
APT
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Date responded
|
10/05/2013
|
Questions
|
I understand that there are about 520 properties (perhaps you will tell me the exact number?) on the Park Estate, therefore with the Council now owning only 173 the statement made by the APT on the Stonehouse Town Council website that the Park Estate is the largest Council Estate in the Stroud District needs to be questioned.
It is now very much an Estate of owner-occupiers and Social Housing. I understand that the District Council give Grants to the APT. Does the District Council agree with the statement made by the APT on the Town Council website?
The owner-occupiers have concerns regarding the value of their properties when the APT are painting the Estate in such a bad light. The Gloucestershire Gateway Trust are involved in the APT Project through the Stonehouse Community Partnership (questions are now being asked by members of the Public with regard to this group.
I enclose a copy of recent minutes of the Stonehouse Town Council). The Gloucestershire Gateway Trust are existing on a loan from the Tudor Trust, a London based charity, of £250,000 to carry out their Social Policy. They are also painting the Park Estate in a very bad light. This statement is based on reading their Accounts for 2010, 2011 and 2012 for Company number 06857427. Is it correct that Stroud District Council is a member of the Stonehouse Community Partnership?
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Response
|
Please find the response to your freedom of information request with regards to the numbers of council properties on the Park Estate.
- As a council housing provider within the Stroud District, the Park Estate is considered to have the largest number of council properties on it of any estate within the district, hence the statement that it is the largest council estate in the district.
- You ask whether we agree with the statement made by APT on the town council website. I assume you mean the reference under the “clubs and charities” section. Please correct me if I am wrong. This makes the statement that the Park Estate is the largest council estate in Stroud. As stated above, we do consider this to be the case. I take your point that there are also owner occupiers living there, however as stated above, it has the largest number of council homes of any estate within the district.
- We are a member of the Stonehouse Community Partnership.
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11/03/2013
|
Equal pay claims
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Date responded
|
03/04/2013
|
Questions
|
Can you please provide us with the following information?
1. Since 2003 how much has been paid out by the council in settlement of equal pay claims or potential equal pay claims?
2. To how many women and how many men have such payments been made?
3. Has the council budgeted for future payments for potential equal pay claims and if so for how much?
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Response
|
1. Since 2003, the Council has made no payment in settlement of equal or potential pay claims.
2. NA
3. There is no specific resource set aside for potential equal pay claims.
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11/03/2013
|
Compromise agreements
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Date responded
|
10/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1 a) For the 2012/13 financial year so far (until today's date of March 11), how many current or ex-employees of the council have signed compromise agreements directly related to the resolving of dispute(s)/grievance(s)/internal and external investigation(s)/whistleblowing incident(s), excluding all COT3 Agreements and all compromise agreements drawn up in the following circumstances:
i. Purely redundancy situations
ii. Purely PILON (pay in lieu of notice) situations
iii. Equal pay claims
iv. TUPE situations
1 b) What was the total monetary value of these?
1 c) Please provide a breakdown for each compromise agreement, showing:
- a summary description of the compromise agreements, eg. whether it related to an internal investigation, whistleblowing, claim of sexual harassment, claim of age discrimination etc.
- the total monetary value of each, and the lump sum payments that make up the claim, eg. severance, notice, salary, etc.
- the role of the individual in receipt of the compromise agreement
Please also provide
2. The same for 2011/12
3. The same for 2010/11
4. The same for 2009/10
5. The same for 2008/09
6. The same for 2007/08
If my request is denied in whole or in part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act.
|
Response
|
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with a request exceeds the “appropriate limit” set out in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/3244).
The Regulations set the appropriate limit for requests to local authorities as £450, at a standard rate of £25 per hour. This means that Stroud District Council will refuse a request for information if it estimates that the time taken to determine if the information is held, to locate and retrieve that information, and to extract the releasable information from any exempt information, will exceed 18 hours (£25 per hour for 18 hours being the £450 limit).
Stroud District Council is committed to being an open and transparent Council. However, the cost of providing you with the information requested is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond. We are sorry that we are unable to assist on this occasion.
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Exempt
|
Exempt
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Exempt reason
|
Section 12 - Cost to the Council would exceed the statutory limit of £450
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|
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11/03/2013
|
Pay awards
|
Date responded
|
10/04/2013
|
Questions
|
Question 1
Excluding any nationally negotiated pay awards for all staff, in the last 5 financial years how may jobs/roles/posts have received a pay increase (increase in salary, supplement of any type, award, additional payment for duties undertaken/appointed, contract/agency/self-employed increase, i.e. anything that means the Council pays out more for that role)?
Please provide your answer in a spreadsheet with these headings. If a payment is not a one off, please include it in the following years:
Year 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13-14 (predicted)
Post Title
Person's department/working area
Post type: permanent, other (contract/agency/self-employed)Total increase £
Reason for increase:
Increase type: one off, monthly, annual
Total annual increase received/to be received £
Total annual pension increase received/to be received £
Annual Overall total received £
Annual Overall pension costs £
Annual Total (total + pension) cost to the Council £
Question 2
How many contractors/agency/self-employed workers has the Council paid more than £50,000 to in the last 5 years. Please base the calculation on the annual cost to hire that person's services, so that year 1, day 1 is the first day of their employment, i.e. rolling 12 months. If they left and came back, please list them separately. If they did not work a full year or are hired in this current year, but were/are paid more than £200 per day, please include them.
Please provide you answer in the spreadsheet with these headings:
Year 1 (2, 3, 4, 5)
Post Title
Person's department/working area
Post type: contract/agency/self-employed
Payment terms: daily/weekly/monthly
Agreement/contract duration (length & dates to/from)
When was the contract/agreement last reviewed?
Who was responsible for reviewing and authorising/extending it last?
When does the contract/agreement end?
Who is responsible for reviewing and authorising at the next review?
Total monthly £ (per individual): (based on payment terms)
Total annual £ (per individual): (based on payment terms)
|
Response
|
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act states that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with a request exceeds the “appropriate limit” set out in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/3244).
The Regulations set the appropriate limit for requests to local authorities as £450, at a standard rate of £25 per hour. This means that Stroud District Council will refuse a request for information if it estimates that the time taken to determine if the information is held, to locate and retrieve that information, and to extract the releasable information from any exempt information, will exceed 18 hours (£25 per hour for 18 hours being the £450 limit).
Stroud District Council is committed to being an open and transparent Council. However, the cost of providing you with the information requested is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond. We are sorry that we are unable to assist on this occasion.
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Exempt
|
Exempt
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Exempt reason
|
Section 12 - Cost to the Council would exceed the statutory limit of £450
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12/03/2013
|
Credit balances on Business Rates
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Date responded
|
26/03/2013
|
Questions
|
In accordance with the above, I hereby request a list of Business Rate accounts that meet the following criteria:
1. Current overpayment/credit shown for any financial year if credit balance hasn't been carried forward
2. Accounts where a 'write on' has been used since 1st April 2000 to cancel an overpayment which has not since been reversed
I would request that the list contains the following information:
• Ratepayer name *
• Address of property concerned
• Amount of overpayment/write on
• If possible, the period/financial year relating to overpayment/credit/write on
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Response
|
Spreadsheet enclosed
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
Business rate credits
(10 KB)
|
|
|
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14/03/2013
|
Section 106 Agreements currently being re-negotiated
|
Date responded
|
12/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1) Please provide the reference number for all planning applications in which Section 106s are currently being re-negotiated.
2) Please disclose the number of re-negotiated Section 106 planning agreements on developments of over 50 units since 2007 broken down annually. And please provide the relevant web link or attached PDF/file linked for each Section 106 re-negotiated agreement.
3) Please provide the number of affordable homes that were part of the original Section 106 agreement prior to re-negotiation.
(If this last question is too onerous please still supply me with the information that relates to the first two questions.)
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Response
|
1) S.08/0517/FUL, S.05/0768/FUL and S.10/2570/FUL.
2) Nil.
3) N/A.
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request for information has been dealt with, please write to the Legal Services Manager for a review. If your complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you may write to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision.
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|
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15/03/2013
|
Details of policies on watercourse culvert removal (day-lighting, de-culverting buried streams)
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Date responded
|
15/04/2013
|
Questions
|
Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request an electronic copy of any currently used planning policies / guidance (including both Statutory Local Development Plans and in wider master plans/visions) that contain references/intentions to re-open/daylight/de-culvert culverted (buried) watercourses/streams/rivers in the area.
|
Response
|
Policy NE7 of the adopted Stroud District Local Plan, November 2005 relates to 'Water Features' and the protection of water based features, and is available to view on the Council's website at the following link -
http://www.stroud.gov.uk/docs/planning/planning_strategy.asp#s=sectioncontent1
Please see pages 125-126.
Proposal HN2 of the adopted Stroud District Local Plan, November 2005 "Allocation of other sites for residential development", and in particular 'Land at former Lansdown Kennels and Dairycrest factory, Lansdown, Stroud (Hg9)', also makes specific reference to the 'opening-up' of the Slad Brook.
Please see pages 47-99, and in particular page 54.
National planning policy is set out within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and its accompanying Technical Guidance. These documents are available to at the following link -
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework-technical-guidance
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request for information has been dealt with, please write to the Legal Services Manager for a review. If your complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you may write to the Information Commissioner’s Office for a decision.
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|
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15/03/2013
|
Arrears and Write-Offs
|
Date responded
|
17/04/2013
|
Questions
|
Please could you provide me with details of your arrears and write offs as set out in the attached spreadsheet
|
Response
|
The attached spreadsheet contains the information.
|
Associated
documents
|
PDF
Arrears and Write-offs
(197 KB)
|
|
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18/03/2013
|
Printers
|
Date responded
|
12/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1 -The number of people currently employed across the organisation?
2 - Who supplies you printer/copier/scanners across organisation?
3 - What make and model of printers/copiers/scanners do you have and how many of each across the organisation?
4 - How many multifunctional devices, printers, copiers, scanners are there across the organization?
5 - When is the contract for this hardware due to end?
6 - What print management software’s do you use across the organisation?
7 - What scanning software’s do you use across the organisation?
8 - What PDF software’s do you use across the organisation?
9 - How much do you spend on PDF software’s across the organisation?
10- What is the overall cost of the managed print service contract?
11- What document management software’s/systems do you use across the organisation?
12- What IT provider do you use within the organisation?
13 -What IT consultants do you use across the organisation?
14- Also could you include the name, title, contact number, and email address for the people responsible for managing the print estate in the organisation?
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Response
|
1- 439 employees with contracted hours of work 351.57 full time equivalents (FTE)
2- Canon
3 - The following are all Canon MFD’s
19 x IR3025 2 x IR 3035 2 x IRC3380i, 5 x IRC2880i, 6 x IR1022i
In addition there are 8 other scanners linked to document management systems
4 - see 3
5 - It has ended
6 - N/a
7 - Adhoc scanning is done using the scanner function built into the Canon MFD’s, other scanning is done from within the various document management systems
8 - For complicated PDF’ing, Adbobe , simply PFD’s are created using PDF creator
9 - Nil
10 - We do not have a manged print service contract
11 - 3 systems in use 1) IDOX EDRMS 2) Civica Open Revenues Workflow 3) Northgate Document Management
12 - IT is provided by the in-house team
13 - None on a regular basis, occasionally one might be employed for a specific project
14 - Pauline Bird, Infrastructure Manager, 01453 754623, pauline.bird@stroud.gov.uk
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|
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18/03/2013
|
Details requested of all premises on which HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd pays Business rates.
|
Date responded
|
05/04/2013
|
Questions
|
HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd is a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Holdings Limited and operates across the UK. Can you please give me the details of all properties on which HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd pays business rates in your local authority, including the square footage of the property if you have this information. I would like all results from the period January 2008 to the present.
HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd’s registration number with Companies House is 00053419. Prior to January 2010, the company was called Electronic Data Systems Limited (the number was the same), so it is possible that some records may still be under this old name.
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Response
|
There is no trace of the aboved named as ratepayers in the area.
|
|
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18/03/2013
|
Information about the corporate intranet
|
Date responded
|
27/03/2013
|
Questions
|
1) Does your authority have plans to implement a new Intranet within the 2013 / 2014
financial year?
2) If so, will this be implemented using internal resource, external resource or a
mixture of both?
3) What is the age of your current Intranet from the date it was released?
4) Is your current Intranet provided or built by any 3rd party suppliers?
5) What integrations does your current Intranet have? By integrations this means
modules such as employee telephone directory, room booking systems, payroll
enquiries or look up addresses etc?
6) If you are planning on a new Intranet, what additional integrations with other back
end systems would you require?
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Response
|
1) No
2) n/a
3) The intranet was released in 2005
4) A mixture of both
5) Internal telephone directory, room booking system, payroll system
6) n/a
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18/03/2013
|
Out sourced legal services
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Date responded
|
19/03/2013
|
Questions
|
I would be grateful if you would let me know how much money that Stroud Council have spent in the last twelve months on out-sourced legal services.
(By out-sourced legal services I mean fees paid to independent solicitors firms and barristers for legal work.)
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Response
|
I acknowledge receipt of your Freedom of Information request below.
Can I please draw your attention to a similar request (named Legal Fees Spending)on Stroud District Council’s website – using the following link. I believe your request is answered under Associated Documents”.
http://www.stroud.gov.uk/opendata/foi.asp#s=sectioncontent2&p=feb2013,mar2013&r=foi1985
If this link doesn’t work please go to www.stroud.gov.uk, then search our Freedom of Information register, you will find the particular request under 19th February 2013 on the list.
Please come back to me if you have trouble accessing the document.
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19/03/2013
|
Business Rate information on 3 properties
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Date responded
|
20/03/2013
|
Questions
|
Please provide the ratepayer’s names in respect of the properties and associated periods listed on the attached spreadsheet.
Address Period Property Ref
IND, DOWN WOOD MILL, THE CAMP, STROUD, GLOS, GL6 7EY 01/04/2008 - 31/03/2013 847016018
SCALES, DOWN WOOD MILL, THE CAMP, STROUD, GLOS, GL6 7EY 01/04/2008 - 31/03/2013 847016009
HEREFORDSHIRE FUELS LTD, COALEY JUNCTION, CAM, DURSLEY, GLOS, GL11 5DH 01/04/2008 - 31/03/2013 816017008
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Response
|
The information requested is exempt under Section 40, personal information.
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Exempt
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Exempt
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Exempt reason
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Section 40 - Personal Information
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19/03/2013
|
Bailiffs
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Date responded
|
20/03/2013
|
Questions
|
Please can you inform us as to the number of times between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2012 that private bailiffs have been instructed to enforce debts owed to the local authority by a) individuals living at residential properties and b) businesses in this local authority. Please also include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to execute a warrant.
By “private bailiffs” we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. By “local authority debts” we mean any debts which result from a charge which the local authority has made for any reason.
Please can you also inform us as to a) the number of residential properties and b) the number of businesses properties which fall within this local authority.
If providing results for the period 1st January – 31st December 2012 is too onerous because it does not correspond with your record-keeping system, please can you provide us with this information for the most recent twelve-month period which does correlate with your system.
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Response
|
Please can you inform us as to the number of times between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2012 that private bailiffs have been instructed to enforce debts owed to the local authority by
a) individuals living at residential properties - 983
b) businesses in this local authority - 47
a) The number of residential properties at 31.12.2012 are 50,416
b) the number of business premises at 31.12.2012 are 3,858
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19/03/2013
|
Information on numbers of benefit frauds
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Date responded
|
05/04/2013
|
Questions
|
a) How many Benefit Fraudsters have you identified in the last 5 years.
b) Of those individuals how many were prosecuted?
c) What is the total outstanding ‘debt’ to the council resulting from benefit fraud ?
d) Of those prosecuted how much money have you recovered?
e) How much of the ‘debt’ has the council written off?
f) How many “disabled blue badges” have been identified as fraudulent?
g) How many “disabled blue badge” have been cancelled as a result of fraud or fraudulent use?
h) How many ” disabled blue badge” fraudsters have been prosecuted?
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Response
|
a) 342
b) 39
c) £222,503.60
d) Detailed figures not available. The overall money collected is £162,655.58
e) £10,484.09
f) - h) No information on disabled blue badges
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20/03/2013
|
All Pulling Together Residents Association
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Date responded
|
10/05/2013
|
Questions
|
Can you please let me have a copy of the AGM of the 7th March 2013 of the All Pulling Together Residents' Association and the Treasurers Report under the Freedom of Information Act.
|
Response
|
In response to your freedom of information request regarding receiving a copy of the AGM for the All Pulling Together Project from 7 March 2013, I can confirm that the meeting did not take place as it was not quorate. However, there was a subsequent AGM arranged for 4 April which was very well attended. Minutes are pending for this meeting and I will therefore arrange for a copy to be sent to you once produced.
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|
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20/03/2013
|
Funding Of Residents Association
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Date responded
|
10/05/2013
|
Questions
|
I understand that Stroud District Council recognise and fund an association called the All Pulling Together Residents Association based on the Park Estate Stonehouse. I would like any recorded information the Council may hold as to compliance with Article 11 of the Human Rights Act when funding this group. For example, does the Council in funding this group recognise that it can only represent and speak on behalf of its members in accordance with Article 11 of the Human Rights Act. Can you please let me have any recorded information the Council holds on how it makes sure it upholds convention rights?
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Response
|
Article 11 of the Human Rights Act identifies the right set up for the Freedom of Assembly and Association. It is most relevant to the right to peaceful protest or in relation to the protection of people’s rights and interests to join a trade union or political party. All Pulling Together are not a political group nor a campaign group. They are a community group. I cannot therefore see the link between this and the All Pulling Together Project.
The All Pulling Together Project is independent of Stroud District Council and only subject to qualifying criteria to access grant funding from us (which I believe you have previously had sight of). We audit this process. Whilst we provide support to the project, we would not seek to make representation of the project as it is a body in its own right.
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21/03/2013
|
Local Council (Town & Parish) precepts for 2013/4
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Date responded
|
12/04/2013
|
Questions
|
I am looking to do a comparison on all the Town and Parish Councils within SDC. 2012/3 and 2013/4 figures would be great.
|
Response
|
The information is provided in the attached document.
Please note that this year the Government has introduced some changes which have had an impact on the tax base. The main change is the ending of the council tax benefit system and its replacement with the local council tax support scheme now given as discounts. These additional discounts have significantly reduced the tax base.
The council has also decided to reduce other discounts available to owners of second homes and empty properties which increase the tax base. This increase does not offset the reduction from the introduction of the local council tax support scheme.
Funding for the local scheme is 10% less than it was for council tax benefit and is paid directly to those councils who make up the total council tax bill such as the police and the county council. The district council receives the parish share of the funding.
The funding reduces the amount of money required to cover spending on services and so this reduced spending level divided by a lower tax base would produce approximately the same council tax rate if no changes had been introduced.
Stroud District Council gave the parish councils the choice as to whether they wanted their share of the funding paid to them. If they chose to receive the funding, it would have reduced their precept and maintained the current council tax level (assuming they did not increase their spending level). If they chose not to receive the funding, their existing spending level divided by the lower tax base would have produced an increase in the level of council tax.
The funding for the scheme in 2014/15 will be reduced and so parishes which chose to receive the funding will have an increase in their council tax rate in 2014/15 even if they do not increase their spending. This may put parishes in a difficult position next year if the Secretary of State decides to make them subject to referendums for increases in council tax. This will not be a problem for parishes which chose not to receive the funding as there will be no further increases in their council tax level as a result of the changes to council tax benefit.
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
Parish Precepts 2012-13 and 2013-14
(35 KB)
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21/03/2013
|
Public Health Funerals in past 4 weeks
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Date responded
|
27/03/2013
|
Questions
|
RE: FOI REQUEST: A LIST OF ALL PUBLIC HEALTH FUNERALS IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I write to request the following:
The names of all Public Health Funerals/ bona vacantia estates passed or in the process of being referred ie pending referral to The Treasury Solicitor ( BV ) Department or Duchy of Lancaster within the last 4 weeks. This is a request for fresh information, as my last request was over 4 weeks ago
We request the following information only:
1) The full name of the deceased
2) The date of death
3) Last known address
4) Approximate value of estate ( if not exempt )
5) If pending referral to the Treasury or already referred to the Treasury
I look forward to hearing from you within the statutory timescale
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Response
|
NIL
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22/03/2013
|
Homeless
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Date responded
|
25/03/2013
|
Questions
|
1. The number of people who were recorded by the council as being 'homeless' for tax years 2010/11, 2011/12 and so far in 2012/13.
2. The amount of money the council has spent to accommodate or help homeless people in the borough during each tax year
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Response
|
1. The number of people who were recorded by the council as being 'homeless' for tax years 2010/11, 2011/12 and so far in 2012/13.
Year Applications Taken Full Duty Accepted
2010/11 54 7
2011/12 76 26
2012/13 57 19
Please note:
• Figures for 2012/13 are up to 22nd March.
• Applications taken means homeless applications under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 as amended.
• Full duty accepted means homeless, in priority need and not intentionally homeless. The difference between the figures is either due to homeless prevention before the decision is made, or if applicants are found to be not priority need or if they are found to be intentionally homeless.
2. The amount of money the council has spent to accommodate or help homeless people in the borough during each tax year
Year Expenditure Income Cost
2010/11 £27 318-12 £18 935-64 £8382-48
2011/12 £42 044-47 £30 173-25 £11 871-22
2012/13 £27 750-33 £28 400-91 -£650-58
Please note:
• Figures for 2012/13 are up to 22nd March. All income has been received but there are still outstanding invoices to be paid.
• Expenditure is the amount spent on bed and breakfast placements.
• Income is costs recovered through Housing Benefit payments
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25/03/2013
|
Empty Properties
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Date responded
|
22/04/2013
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Questions
|
1) How many Council Properties are currently (or at the last known survey, or update of your homes register) unoccupied, or empty, or uninhabitable, or unused for any other reason in the following locations:
a)Summer Street, Stroud and at its entry junction on to Parliament Street
b)Roads off Summer Street, Stroud i.e. Summer Crescent, Brendans Road etc
c)In the Council owned/managed properties and estates in the Stroud town centre and towards Bisley, including, for the avoidance of doubt, council properties on the estates and in the areas of Bisley Old Road, Middle Hill, Langtoft Road, Reservoir Road, Mason Road, Hill Top Close, Daniels Road, Gibson Close, Target Close, Bisley Road, Valley View Road, Ridgemont Road, Horns Road, Daisys Bank, Bowbridge Lane, Churchfield Road, Spider Lane, Highfield Road, Park Road, Field Road, Cowle Road, Hollow Lane, Middle Street, Whitehall, Lower Street, Spring Lane, Wood Street, Acre Street, Chapel Street, Upper Leazes, Far Leazes, Castle Pitch, Wesley Court, Parliament Street, Castle Rise, Middle Leazes, Far Leazes, Brickrow, Bell vue Road, Nelson Street
d)In all Council owned/managed estates within your jurisdiction
2) I noted a substantial number of council homes empty and boarded in the etsate at the top of Bisley Road,
a) why is this so ?
b) How many are unoccupied in this location ?
3)How many Privately owned Properties are currently (or at the last known survey, or update of your homes register) unoccupied, or empty, or uninhabitable, or unused for any other reason in your jurisdiction.
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Response
|
1
a)There are no empty properties at this junction
b) 0
c)14
d)171
2
a) SDC is looking at a proposal to regenerate the area by seeking to demolish and rebuild a number of defective Woolaways Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete (PRC’s) properties. The proposal will also involve an element of major refurbishment of existing properties to ensure they reach an appropriate standard for the future. Stroud is in the process of engaging professional consultants to assist with scheme and as part within this process we will be carrying out further community consultation which will outline plans at the appropriate time.
b)There are currently 14 empty properties.
3 - This information is on our website - http://www.stroud.gov.uk/opendata/foi.asp#s=sectioncontent2&p=nov2012&r=foi1865,foi1885
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25/03/2013
|
Change of Use of 1 Park Parade, Stonehouse
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Date responded
|
10/05/2013
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Questions
|
I enclose a document which formed part of the application for change of use by the District Council Tenant Services for 1 Park Parade, Stonehouse.
I understand that this project was set up by the Stonehouse Community Partnership which is unfortunately an unincorporated bodywith no legal entity who do not have to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, no information is in the public domain. They also state that they do not have to comply with the Equalities Act 2010 or the Human Rights Act. It is very unfortunate that a public authority decided to work with such a group.
The Stonehouse Opportunities Group was set up by the Stonehouse Community Partnership in January 2010 and the Planning application was submitte to Stonehouse Town Council on 19 July 2010.
In paragraph 4 of this document it states that the Stroud District Tenant Participation Services did a consultation exercise on the Park Estate. Can I please tell me the date that all the residents (both social housing and owner occupiers) of the Park Estate were surveyed by SDC? Please supply me with all recorded information concerning this survey conducted by Stroud District Council?
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Response
|
Thank you for your Freedom of Information Request with regards to the consultation taken to set up the All Pulling Together Project in 2010.
Two Public meetings were held in June and July of 2010. One was arranged by the police and one by Stroud District Council. Both were publicised to all residents of the Park Estate by leaflets and also by door knocking by both the police and Stroud District Council staff. Unfortunately due to the time that has passed since this consultation, we no longer hold copies of the publicity material used at the time, however, I attach the minutes from the first AGM held in October 2010 which refers to the two public meetings and a subsequent meeting to set up a steering group which stemmed from these meetings.
I am sorry that we do not have further information available, however Stuart Strathearn can confirm that the consultation took place and remembers the time he put in to knocking doors and encouraging attendance.
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
AGM Minutes - October 2010
(154 KB)
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26/03/2013
|
Council / Social Housing
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Date responded
|
12/04/2013
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Questions
|
1. How many people are currently on the Council’s waiting list for council/social housing?
2. How many people in the area are currently living in council/social housing properties?
3. How many people on the current waiting list had been UK residents for less than 2 years at the time they joined the list?
4. How many people, currently occupying one of the area’s council/social housing properties, have been residents in the UK for less than 2 years?
5. How many people on the waiting list for Council/Social housing are non-British citizens?
6. How many people currently occupying a council/social housing property are non-British citizens?
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Response
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1 - 3320 as at 10 April 2013
2 - We do not monitor the number of people in each individual property and we do not maintain a register of the number of people across social housing providers.
3 - We do not collate this information and cannot create a report from the information on our register to cover it. However every applicant is subject to a local connection test for our district - they must have lived or worked in the area for 6 of the last 12 months or 3 of the last 5 years and every applicant is subject to the current statutory eligibility rules for accessing social housing and this includes habitual residence, immigration and citizenship tests of eligibility.
4 - We do not hold this.
5 -We cannot provide this information .The question for nationality is not mandatory therefore we cannot run a report to identify non-British citizens. This is something we would pick up at the point we assess the application and ask for identification & verification documents. This is a manual task and we do not record how many are non-British.
6 - See answer to Q 2
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26/03/2013
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Employees re-employed after redundancy
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Date responded
|
23/04/2013
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Questions
|
For each of the past five financial years, including the current financial year to date, please state the total number of employees who have returned to work for the authority in a new position having previously been made redundant.
In each case, state the amount paid as redundancy and the period of time elapsed between the redundancy and the employees’ return in a new position.
Please state whether the data includes school and teaching staff. Denote this as part of the breakdown of payments and time elapsed, where possible.
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Response
|
In the past five financial years, including the current year to date, no previous employees have returned to work for the Council after being made redundant.
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27/03/2013
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Mobile phone contract
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Date responded
|
26/04/2013
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Questions
|
1. Existing Supplier(s) - If there is more than one supplier please split the contract up including the contract value, number of users, duration, contract dates and internal contact details.
2. Total contract value- If there isn’t a total contract value please cans you provide me with the latest annual spend on mobile phone for each network provider.
3. Number of Users- Number of connections for each network provider.
4. Duration of the contract- please state if the contract also include contract extensions for each provider.
5. Call off Contract/Framework Agreement Start Date- please provide me with information on when the framework commenced and include the month and year and day if possible for each network provider.
6. Call off Contract/Framework Agreement Expiry Date- please provide me with information on when the framework expires and include the month and year and day if possible for each network provider.
7. Contract/Framework Agreement Review Date- please provide me with the month and year and day if possible of when the organisation plans to review it mobile phone contracts for each network provider.
8. The person within the organisation responsible for this particular contract. Can you send me the full contact details Contact Name, Job Title, Contact Number and direct email address for each network provider.
If the has more than one supplier can you please split the contract into to so they show information for both supplier including, total contract value, users, duration, and the other dates.
Please can you provide me with the latest information- If the organisation’s is currently out to tender please can you also state the approx. date of award along with the information above.
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Response
|
Please see attached PDF file with information.
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
Response to request
(29 KB)
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27/03/2013
|
Dangerous Wild Animal Licences 2013
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Date responded
|
05/04/2013
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Questions
|
I am writing on behalf of Wild Futures to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please note that a similar request for information is sent out annually, and we are now seeking up-to-date information for 2013. We ask that you treat this as a wholly new request. Please do not forward on the information you sent to us last year, as it may now be out of date.
This request is in 2 parts. We ask that you answer all of the questions in the first section whether or not you have any licenses issued under the Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) Act. If there are any current DWA licenses for primates in your area, please also complete all of the questions in the second section.
Please note that any previous postal addresses you may have on record are no longer valid – I have no access to mail sent there. Please send answers by email, or let me know if this is not possible and I will supply you with an address.
As of 25 February 2013;
1) How many DWA licenses are currently issued in your area?
2) How many of these DWA licenses are issued for primates (monkeys, apes or prosimians such as lemurs)?
3) How many applications for licenses under the DWA Act have been refused in your area in the last 12 months?
4) How many of these applications were for primates and on what grounds were they refused?
4) What is the cost of obtaining a DWA license in your area (please indicate whether this includes any vet fees incurred)?
5) What is the cost of “renewing” a DWA license in your area (please indicate whether this includes any vet fees incurred)?
6) If there are primates licensed in your area, please provide copies of the most recent relevant inspection report(s) for all such licenses (on the understanding that for data protection purposes, certain information may be obscured). If no written reports are available, please indicate the date on which the most recent report was conducted, by whom, and the outcome of the visit. If not included in the report(s), please also provide the following information:
For each license issued for primates:
a) How many individuals of each species are covered (please provide the scientific name: i.e. Cebus apella)?
b) What is the age and sex of each licensed primate? If this information is not kept by your council, please indicate so.
c) Where was each primate obtained? If this information is not kept by your council, please indicate so.
d) Please confirm whether any restriction is placed on breeding of the animals licensed. If no restriction exists, please indicate whether the existing license would automatically cover the offspring, and until what age this cover would last.
7) Finally, would you or someone in your department be interested in sharing your experiences with licensing under the DWAA and dealing with primates under the AWA with Wild Futures, working towards better protection for primates and simplification of LA's duties?
I look forward to receiving the above information within 20 working days, as required under the Freedom of Information Act.
If this request has been addressed to the wrong department, please forward it on accordingly and notify me so that I can be sure to address the correct department in future.
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Response
|
1. 3
2. 1
3. 0
4. 0
4. £122 not incl Vet fees
5. £122 not incl Vet fees
6. See attached
7. Not at this time
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Associated
documents
|
PDF
Vet inspection
(59 KB)
|
|
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28/03/2013
|
PBX and VOIP maintenance contract information
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Date responded
|
12/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1. All ICT Contracts relating to PBX and VOIP Maintenance please
can you send me:
a. Supplier(s) Name(s)
b. Total Contract Value
c. Hardware Brand
d. Application(s) running on PBX/VOIP
e. Duration- including any extension periods.
f. Expiry Date
g. Number of Users
h. Contract Review Date
i. Contact/job title responsible for this contract (Full
Contact Details contact name, actual job title, direct contact number and direct email address.
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Response
|
a) Bailey Teswaine
b) £6k
c) Mitel
d) Contact Centre Management
e) 1 year
f) April 2014
g) cc 500
h) April 2014
i) Pauline Bird, Infrastructure Manager
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28/03/2013
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Gas and Electric Providers
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Date responded
|
29/04/2013
|
Questions
|
1. 1. Contracts/Agreements relating to the supply of Gas which may include the following:
• Natural Gas Supply
• Gas Heating / Boiler Maintenance
• Installation of Gas Central Heating Systems
2. 2. Contracts/Agreements relating to the supply of Electricity which may include the following:
• Street Lighting
• Electricity Supply (Half Hourly)
• Electricity Supply (Non Half Hourly)
• Corporate Electricity Supply
Contract Information- For each of the types of the contract that I am requesting please can you send me the following information. Please can you remember if there is more than one provider can you please split the contract information up for each individual provider?
1. 1. Unique Contract Ref Key: Please can you provide me with a unique reference quote that relates to each contract.
2. 2. Current Provider: If there is more than one provider please split the contract information individually.
3. 3. Annual Average Spend: Please can you send me the average spends over the last three years. Approximate spend is also acceptable.
4. 4. Contract Duration: Duration of the contract/agreement and can you please include any extension periods that could be executed
5. 5. Contract Commence Date: The date the contract/agreement commenced
6. 6. Contract Expiry Date: The date the contract/agreement expired
7. 7. Contract Description: A brief description of the contract of what support/service in involved
8. 8. Responsible Officer: Who within the organisation is responsible for this contract. Please can you send me the full names, actual job title, internal contact number and the officers direct email address.
If there is more than one supplier please split each profile of the above data types for each supplier. E.g. separate spend, expiry date, responsible officer.
In some cases I have been told that some requests may take of the period of collating this information. If this is the case please can you only concentrate on part two of my request (Contracts/Agreements relating to the supply of Electricity).
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Response
|
Please see attached.
|
Associated
documents
|
PDF
response
(5 KB)
|
|
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31/03/2013
|
Benefits and nationality
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Date responded
|
26/04/2013
|
Questions
|
What is the total number of people who applied for housing benefits whose nationality is from an EU country (excluding the UK) in the last year for which figures are available?
What is the total number of claimants of housing benefits whose nationality is from an EU country (excluding the UK) in the last year for which figures are available?
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Response
|
Data not held as no requirement to do so
|
|
FOI Information
View information on how to make a request under the FOI
act.
FOI Register View all FOI requests to see if your question has been answered.
DOC