Council staff working on climate action

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Climate Emergency UK

Dear Basingstoke and Deane 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

Freedom of Information, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

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Freedom of Information, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Dear Hannah,

 

Further to your recent request made under the Freedom of Information Act
2000, we confirm we do hold the information requested. Please find this
information below:-

 

Our response,

 

 

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?

563 employees as at 01/02/2023.

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.

 

1b. 6

Climate Change and Sustainability Manager – 1 FTE

Climate Emergency Project Manager – 1 FTE

Senior Sustainable Transport Operator – 1 FTE

Climate Emergency Project Officer – 1 FTE

Climate Emergency Support Officer – 1 FTE

Climate Change Communications and Engagement Officer – 1 FTE

 

The council is also seeking to create 6 further roles, subject to Council
budget approval (Feb ’23)

 

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.

 

0-although supporting retrofit is a key component of roles above, with 1
of the newly proposed roles to focus on this

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).

 

 

We do not have any ecology posts within the Planning department.

 

We have a Principal Ecology/Biodiversity Officer within the Natural
Environment team, FTE 1.0. This position has not yet been filled.

 

 

We have two ecologists within the council working over 0.6fte, and their
roles cover a wider range of biodiversity work streams, one of which is
assessing planning applications for Biodiversity Net Gain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Data Protection Officer, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic
Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4AH.

 

Or via email to [1][Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council request email]

 

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Kind regards

 

Cheryl Wiltshire

Data Protection Planning and Litigation Paralegal

Shared Legal Services

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

and Hart District Council

Tel (Direct): 01256 845225

Fax: 01256 845200.

Email: [7][email address]

[8]www.basingstoke.gov.uk

[9]www.hart.gov.uk

Follow us on Twitter [10]@BasingstokeGov

 

Reference: 052533 / 00780287

 

 

From: Climate Emergency UK
<[11][FOI #938046 email]>
Sent: 16 January 2023 20:21
To: Freedom of Information <[12][Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Council staff working on climate
action

 

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══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Dear Basingstoke and Deane 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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