Council staff working on climate action
Climate Emergency UK made this Freedom of Information request to Swindon Borough Council as part of a batch sent to 151 authorities This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
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
Thank you for contacting Swindon Borough Council.
Any Council Tax queries please contact them directly on 0345 302 2316 or
via email on [email address] We cannot support with
these enquires.
To enquire about the £150 Energy payment please use the link below to
complete an enquiry form:
[1]https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20020/co...
We have received your email and will pass it on to the relevant department
or action accordingly. If we need to contact you back for further
information, we will do so within 5 working days.
Please note this mailbox is monitored Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00.
You may also wish to visit our website for support with your query at
[2]https://www.swindon.gov.uk/
The following emergency services are available outside of usual business
hours:
Social services
To report abuse, neglect or a risk to a vulnerable person:
01793 445500
Housing services
To report an emergency housing situation or homelessness:
01793 445500
Customer Services
Swindon Borough Council
The views expressed in this email are personal and may not necessarily
reflect those of Swindon Borough Council unless explicitly stated
otherwise. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential
and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they
are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify me
immediately. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you
should not copy it for any purpose, or disclose its contents to any other
person. Senders and recipients of email should be aware that, under the
Data Protection Act 2018 and Freedom of Information Act 2000, the contents
may have to be disclosed. The contents may be subject to recording and/or
monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation This footnote also
confirms that this email has been swept by Anti-Virus software for the
presence of computer viruses. However, Swindon Borough Council cannot
accept liability for viruses that may be in this email and we recommend
that you check all emails with an appropriate virus scanner.
....
References
Visible links
1. https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20020/co...
2. https://www.swindon.gov.uk/
[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
References
Visible links
1. https://myaccount.swindon.gov.uk/q
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.
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
[1]www.swindon.gov.uk
[2]cid:image001.png@01D64961.E066D7E0
[3]cid:image002.png@01D64961.E066D7E0 [4]instagram
96dpi
[5][IMG]
This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal
views which are not the views of Swindon Borough Council unless otherwise
specifically stated.
If reasonable adjustments are needed to fully engage with the Authority
please contact 01793 445500.
If you are not the intended recipient and you have received this e-mail in
error you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it.
Please notify the sender by e-mail or telephone and delete it from your
system.
Please note that Swindon Borough Council reserves the right, subject to
compliance with legislation, to monitor emails sent or received. Under
current legislation, such as, but not limited to, the Data Protection Act
2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the contents may have to be
disclosed in response to a request for information.
We utilise an anti-virus system and therefore any files sent via e-mail
will have been checked for known viruses. You are however advised to run
your own virus check before opening any attachments received as we will
not in any event accept any liability whatsoever once an e-mail and/or any
attachment is received.
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now