Pitch Fee Increases - April 2025

Thank you for your recent FOI / EIR request. Please find attached an acknowledgement for this request.
##################################################################################### Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw ffeiliau sy'n atodol yn gyfrinachol a dim ond ar gyfer defnydd yr unigolyn neu'r sefydliad y cyfeiriwyd atynt. Os ydych wedi derbyn yr e-bost hwn ar gam rhowch wybod i reolwr eich system. Nodwch fod unrhyw sylwadau neu farn o fewn testun yr e-bost yw sylwadau a barn yr awdur yn unig ac nid yn angenrheidiol yn cynrychioli barn Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili. I orffen, dylai'r person sy'n derbyn yr e-bost sicrhau nad oes firws ynghlwm nac mewn unrhyw ddogfen atodol i'r e-bost. Nid yw'r Cyngor yn derbyn unrhyw gyfrifoldeb am unrhyw ddifrod achoswyd gan unrhyw firws sy'n cael ei drosglwyddo gan yr e-bost hwn. Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg, Saesneg neu'n ddwyieithog (yn unol â'ch dewis), ac mewn ieithoedd a fformatau eraill. Cewch ymateb yn unol â'ch dewis iaith os nodwch hynny i ni, ac ni fydd cyfathrebu â ni yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi. 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 the system manager. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Caerphilly County Borough Council. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Council accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. We welcome correspondence in English, Welsh or bilingually (according to your choice) or in other languages and formats. We will respond in your declared chosen language, and corresponding with us in Welsh will not lead to any delay. #####################################################################################

Dear Mr Roch

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information received on the 25^th March
2025. We apologise for the delay in our response. We have considered your
request and enclose the following information –

Please provide the following information related to the decision to
increase pitch fees from April 2025:

1. Copies of any consultation documents sent to sports clubs, community
groups, and the public regarding pitch fee increases.

We confirm that we hold the information you have requested within the
Budget Consultation Reports and Documents which are already publicly
available on the Council Budget Setting 2025/26 pages of our website. For
ease of reference, the information can be accessed via the following link:

[1]Council Budget Setting 2025/26 | The Caerphilly Conversation

Under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we are not
required to provide information in response to a request if it is already
reasonably accessible.  Therefore in respect of the Freedom of Information
Act, this letter constitutes a formal refusal notice under Section 17.

2. Details of any pubic meetings, surveys, or feedback sessions held
before the decision was made.

As (1)

3. A summary of all responses received from sports clubs, teams, and other
stakeholders about the proposed fee increase.

As (1)

4. Copies of the council cabinet meeting minute where the fee increases
were discussed and approved.

We confirm that we hold the information you have requested within the
Budget Consultation Reports and Documents which are already publicly
available on the Meetings, agendas, minutes and reports pages of our
website. For ease of reference, the information can be accessed via the
following link:

[2]Agenda for Cabinet on Thursday, 27th February, 2025, 1.00 pm (agreed as
part of the Budget Proposals 2025/26, but we not discussed as a separate
item)

[3]Minutes of Special Cabinet held on 27th February 2025 (minutes of
Special Cabinet)

[4]Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 19th March, 2025, 1.00 pm (minutes
were then approved as part of the Cabinet Agenda)

Under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we are not
required to provide information in response to a request if it is already
reasonably accessible.  Therefore in respect of the Freedom of Information
Act, this letter constitutes a formal refusal notice under Section 17.

5. The full report or business case used to justify the pitch fee
increases, including financial projections.

See (1)

6. Any equality impact assessments conducted to determine how the changes
would affect different groups, e.g. children and low income families.

See (1)

7. Any internal emails or memos discussing the reasoning behind the price
hikes.

See attached

8. A breakdown of the council's current income and expenditure on sports
facilities

Information for financial year 2024/25 is not held at this point as the
accounts are currently being finalised.

However, if you require information for financial year 2023/24, please let
us know.

9. Details of any alternative funding options considered before deciding
to raise pitch fees

Information not held

10.Information on how much revenue the council expects to generate from
the increased fees and how that money will be used.

Information not held

11. Any legal advice received by the council regarding the lawfulness of
the fee increase

Not applicable

12. Copies of policies or guidelines the council followed when setting
these fees

Information not held

13. Details of any correspondence with the Welsh Government regarding
funding for community sports facilities.

Information not held

We supply this information based on your original request. If this is not
what you wanted or if you feel we have not fully understood your request
please do not hesitate to contact me to clarify your exact requirements.

If you have any queries or concerns or are in any way dissatisfied with
the handling of your request please contact [5][Caerphilly County Borough
Council request email].

Yours sincerely

Corporate Information Governance Unit

Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Information Regulations
2004

You have the right to appeal against our decision.
If you wish to appeal please set out If you are unhappy with that decision
in writing your grounds of appeal you have the right to appeal to:
and send to:
Information Commissioner’s Office –
Corporate Information Governance Wales
Unit 2nd Floor, Churchill House
Caerphilly county borough council, Churchill Way
Penallta House Cardiff CF10 2HH
Tredomen Park
Hengoed. CF82 7PG Tel: 0330 414 6421

Appeals will be determined by an Website: [6]www.ico.org.uk
appropriate senior officer.
Email: [7][email address]

Re-use of information without permission may infringe the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988. Re-use can include, but is not limited to,
making multiple copies, publishing and issuing copies of the information
to a wider audience. If you would like to re-use copyright material owned
by Caerphilly County Borough Council, please contact us. Authorisation to
re-use copyright material not owned by this Authority should be sought
directly from the copyright owner.

How we will use your information

Caerphilly County Borough Council will process your request, the
information relevant to your request, your identity and contact details
for the purposes of providing you with a response.  A copy of your request
and your response will be kept for 3 years.  Some requests and responses
may be kept longer but this will be in an anonymised form.  

Your request including your identity and contact details will be
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prior to a decision being made on the disclosure.

If you have made a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)
or others in relation to the processing of your request, copies of your
request, response and any additional correspondence between you and
Caerphilly County Borough Council in relevant to your request may be
shared with them.

You have a number of rights in relation to your information including the
right of access to information we hold about you and the right of
complaint if you are unhappy with the way that we have handled your
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For further information on how we process your information and your rights
please click the following link:

[8]https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Caerphilly...

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