Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your information request.

If you are making a request for information under FOI(S)A we will aim to
respond within the statutory timeframe of 20 working days.

If you are making a request for environmental information under EIRs we
will aim to respond within the statutory timeframe of 20 working days.
However, for requests of a complex nature it could take us up to 40
working days. If so we will write and tell you this.

If you are making a request for information under DPA/GDPR we will aim to
respond within the statutory timeframe of one month except in the case of
complex or numerous requests in which case this period may be extended by
up to a further two months. If so we will write and tell you this.

Information Requests Privacy Notice: [1]https://tinyurl.com/yac8kodc

Regards,
Aberdeenshire Information Enquiries

References

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1. https://tinyurl.com/yac8kodc

Dear Hannah Jewell

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“The Act”)

Aberdeenshire Council refer to your request dated 16/01/2023 for the
following information on Staff positions implementing Climate Action Plan
/ Climate Change Projects  

Aberdeenshire Council holds the following information, which we believe
satisfies your request, and which is as noted below and attached.

1a. How many staff does the Council directly employ (excluding contractors
or subcontractors, and excluding teachers), that work directly for the
Council as opposed to a school, leisure centres or other venture?

Please find spreadsheet attached.

1b. How many directly employed staff spend 3 or more days per week (0.6
Full Time Equivalent (FTE)) on implementing the Climate Action Plan or
other climate change projects? Please provide a list of all the roles.
Please exclude waste management staff unless they are specifically working
3 or more days per week on implementing the Climate Action Plan or other
climate change projects.
If you have answered yes to have a biodiversity planning officer and/or a
retrofit staff member below, both these staff members can be included in
this question even if they are contracted. This is likely to include all
staff in your climate/sustainability team, such as Climate Change Officers
or similar. This may include full time staff who spend 60% of their time
on climate change projects and 40% of their time on other work.

1x Team Leader – Sustainability and Climate Change, 2x Sustainability and
Climate Change Officers, 1x Sustainable Development Officer, 1x Circular
Economy Officer, 4x Natural Environment Planners,  2x Greenspace Officers
who work directly with communities for enhancing greenspace, tree
planting, improving biodiversity. 1x Community Benefits & Sustainable
Procurement Manager. 2 x Fuel Poverty Officers.

You might include other staff in other departments, such as a procurement
officer if they are spending 3 or more days per week (0.6 FTE) on writing
and implementing a sustainable procurement policy or a planner that is
working primarily on low carbon policies for new buildings.

2. Does the council have one or more staff member who works on home energy
efficiency retrofitting, such as retrofit officers or project managers
across the council area, for 3 or more days per week (0.6+ FTE)? This can
include both directly employed and contracted staff, provided they work 3
or more days per week (0.6 FTE). The work of this officer may include
working on any retrofit projects, including council buildings, council
homes or private rented or owned households.
Please list any roles that work in this area, including the full time
equivalent (FTE) if they work part time.
Please include staff members that are shared with other councils, such as
between county and district councils, and note if they are shared across
other areas.

Aberdeenshire have officers in Housing and Property and Facilities
Management who work on retrofitting through the Housing Improvement
Programme however their work is not just retrofitting it includes all
upgrading of properties. This includes the contractors used for this work
also. Aberdeenshire Council also have 2 FTE officers within the Housing
Service who work directly on fuel poverty and home energy efficiency is a
sizable proportion of their role.
3. How many planning ecologists (ecologists within the planning
department) or equivalent working for 3 or more days per week (0.6+ FTE)
does the council employ to scrutinise planning reports for Biodiversity
Net Gain? This can include both directly employed and contracted staff,
provided they work 3 or more days per week (0.6 FTE).

4x staff members, 3FTE equivalent,  Natural Environment Planners,  who
specifically look at ecology (in which biodiversity is a consideration) in
relation to planning matters. 2x Greenspace Officers who work directly
with communities for enhancing greenspace, tree planting, improving
biodiversity.

Please contact me as the officer responsible for responding to your
request if you have any further queries.

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with this response, please refer
to the further information attached.

Yours faithfully

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
Environment & Infrastructure Services

Aberdeenshire Council

Further Information:
Aberdeenshire Council’s Review Procedure under the Freedom of Information
(Scotland) Act 2002 and the Environmental Information (Scotland)
Regulations 2004 can be accessed at the following link:

[1]http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/council-...

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This e-mail may contain privileged information intended solely for the use
of the individual to whom it is addressed. If you have received this
e-mail in error, please accept our apologies and notify the sender,
deleting the e-mail afterwards. Any views or opinions presented are solely
those of the e-mail's author and do not necessarily represent those of
Aberdeenshire Council.

Dh’fhaodadh fiosrachadh sochaire, a tha a-mhàin airson an neach gu bheil
am post-dealain air a chur, a bhith an seo. Ma tha thu air am post-dealain
fhaighinn mar mhearachd, gabh ar leisgeul agus cuir fios chun an neach a
chuir am post-dealain agus dubh às am post-dealain an dèidh sin. ’S e
beachdan an neach a chuir am post-dealain a tha ann an gin sam bith a
thèid a chur an cèill agus chan eil e a’ ciallachadh gu bheil iad a’
riochdachadh beachdan Chomhairle Shiorrachd Obar Dheathain.

www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk

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References

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1. http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/council-...