Council staff working on climate action

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Climate Emergency UK

Dear Swindon Borough Council,

Please treat this as a Freedom of Information/Environmental Information Regulations request.

I would like information about your council’s staff positions in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information is most likely to be held by a HR department or similar.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

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?

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.

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.

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).

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,
Hannah Jewell, Climate Emergency UK

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Swindon Borough Council

[1]Swindon Borough Council
Dear Hannah Jewell,

Case reference number: FOI005664

Thank you for your request. The Freedom of Information Act creates two
general rights in relation to information:

 1. The right to be told whether or not the information requested is
held
 2. The right to be given that information within 20 working days

A response to your request for information will be sent to you promptly;
and in any event no later than 16/02/2023. Please allow postal time.

Kind regards, 

Freedom of information officer
Swindon Borough Council

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Freedom of Information, Swindon Borough Council

5 Attachments

Dear Hannah Jewell,

Re: Freedom of Information Request FOI005664

 

I acknowledge the receipt of your email request dated 16/01/2023.

The Council has a duty to respond ‘promptly’, or no later than 20 working
days which in this case is 16/02/2023.

 

Please find enclosed the response to your questions;

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a review you should contact:

 

Customer Services

Civic Offices

Euclid Street

Swindon

SN1 2JH

 

The complaints/review procedure involves a full review by the Information
Governance Manager. 

[email address]

 

You can also use our on-line form:
https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20159/ma...

 

It is our usual practice to accept a request for an internal review made
within 40 working days from the date that we have issued a response to a
request.

We are not obliged to accept internal reviews after this date.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of our conclusion, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner's Office for a decision before
contacting the Council. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless
you have exhausted the Council's own complaints procedure.

 

 

 

 

The Information Officer can be contacted at :

 

The Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

Email: [email address]

Tel: 01625 545700 (ask for Freedom of Information)

 

 

 

Many Thanks and Kind Regards

 

Noelle Orlandini

 

 

Access to Information Officer

Information & Technology

Swindon Borough Council

 

 

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