Request reference: FOI 10361

Issue date: 03.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested detailed information regarding North Devon Council’s policies, procedures, and accountability measures in relation to the handling of anti-social behaviour (ASB), monitoring of complaints, intelligence analysis, and safeguarding of vulnerable individuals during the housing allocation and registration process

Anti-Social Behaviour Policy and Intervention Measures

1. What is the council’s official policy on dealing with reports of ASB, particularly when vulnerable tenants are affected?

2. What measures are in place to monitor patterns of ASB complaints and identify repeat offenders?

3. How does the council coordinate with housing associations, police, and other agencies to ensure effective intervention in cases of persistent harassment or threats?

4. How are cases involving threats to harm, including threats of violence or arson, escalated and prioritised within your ASB procedures?

5. What is the threshold for the council to take direct enforcement action (e.g., injunctions, eviction proceedings) against perpetrators of ASB?

 

Monitoring and Intelligence Analysis of ASB

6. How does the council collect and analyse intelligence on ASB within its jurisdiction?

7. What mechanisms are in place to cross-reference reports of ASB with housing allocation data to prevent known offenders from being placed in proximity to vulnerable tenants?

8. How often is ASB case data reviewed, and what is the council’s approach to identifying systemic failings in handling such cases?

9. Does the council conduct independent audits of ASB handling, and if so, how frequently?

10. What measures are taken to ensure transparency in ASB complaint outcomes, particularly where a complainant is left without resolution?

 

Housing Registration and Allocation Procedures

11. What safeguarding assessments are conducted before placing a vulnerable individual into a social housing property, particularly where known ASB concerns exist?

12. Are background checks conducted to ensure that a property has not been the site of previous unresolved ASB issues before allocating it to a new vulnerable tenant?

13. What criteria are used to assess whether a housing placement is safe and suitable for a vulnerable applicant?

14. How does the council ensure that housing associations uphold their duty of care when allocating properties, especially in cases where a tenant has specific health or safety concerns?

15. What procedures exist for reviewing and reassessing housing placements where a tenant has experienced ASB, harassment, or intimidation?

 

Support and Advocacy for Vulnerable Tenants

16. What specific support services are available for tenants who experience ASB or harassment in their homes?

17. How does the council ensure that vulnerable tenants are given priority for transfers or rehousing when ASB becomes a serious issue?

18. What steps does the council take to ensure tenants are fully informed of their rights and the available legal remedies when they face ASB?

19. How does the council track whether tenants who have reported ASB experience retaliation or further victimisation due to their complaints?

20. What oversight exists to ensure that housing providers are not minimising or dismissing valid ASB reports to protect their own internal performance metrics?

Accountability and Future Policy Improvements

21. What steps does the council take to review and improve ASB handling procedures based on past failures or tenant complaints?

22. How does the council ensure that housing associations are held accountable when they fail to act on ASB reports?

23. Are there independent review panels or ombudsman services involved in assessing the effectiveness of ASB handling by the council and housing associations?

24. What legal obligations does the council recognise under the Equality Act 2010, Human Rights Act 1998, and Housing Acts 1985, 1988, 1996 in relation to protecting vulnerable tenants from ASB?

25. How does the council plan to improve coordination between housing providers, the police, and local services to ensure that tenants reporting ASB are not left in prolonged distress without resolution?

Request for Formal Response and Documentation

The applicant requested a formal written response to these questions, along with copies of any relevant policies, procedural guidelines, or statistical reports that provide further insight into the council’s approach to these matters

Response provided:

1. The Council does not have its own official policy in relation to dealing with reports of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), however it does work in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police to respond to ASB through the three stage escalation process. Further details of this can requested directly from the Devon and Cornwall Police under the FOI. The Council advises members of the public to contact the Police in the first instance if they feel threatened or intimidated or there are threats of crime. The Police would lead on investigating these incidents and may deal with this through the Criminal Route or may wish to escalate individuals through the ASB process. The Police would lead on this in the first instance

If the complainant is a Social Housing Tenant then advice would be given to contact their landlord in the first instance if the subject is also in a Social Housing property

North Devon Council led on Environmental ASB investigations this would include: 

• Noise nuisance 
• Abandoned Vehicles 
• Dog Fouling 
• Graffiti
• Littering

2. ASB cases that are reported to the Council are recorded on its case management system Assure. This records details of incidents and complainants and will identify repeat offenders

3. The Community Safety Partnership has a good working arrangement with RSLs and Police who communicate with the ASB Officer if they are requesting further support in relation to an ASB case. The Council requires lead agencies to follow their ASB escalation procedures but may consider a joint agency approach if this has failed and the behaviour is persistent, frequent and unreasonable. The ASB Officer would determine if further escalation is required. (ASB Escalation Policy)

4. The Council does not investigate these matters. The Complainant would be advised by Customer Services to report these matters to the Police

5. Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Police and Crime Act 2014 and Environmental Protection Act 1990 the Local Authority can take direct action on Environmental ASB cases. The Council can support partner agencies if enforcement action taken by the lead agency has failed. Community Protection Warning Letters and Community Protection Notices can be issued by the Council on behalf of the partnership if the ASB officer is satisfied the threshold has been met. See government guidance of the ASB Police and Crime Act 2014

6. All data in relation to ASB cases are recorded on its case management system Assure

7. The Council does not hold this information as it would be the RSLs responsibility to ensure known offenders are not placed in proximity to vulnerable tenants

8. The Council does not have a specific process in place for this, however a Community Trigger can be requested. There is where any person experiencing persistent anti-social behaviour has the right to initiate a multi-agency review of their case where a local threshold of at least three qualifying complaints within a six month period is met and is reported to the Police. The Council publishes a dataset that provides data on the number of Community Trigger requests received and the number of those subsequently investigated, reviewed and resulted in recommendations being made: Community Triggers Anti –Social Behaviour Case Review

There are details of prosecutions kept and those details are annually reviewed, apart from prosecution proceedings, there is no review process of ASB case data

9. No

10. The Council’s complaints process via the Feedback team

11. This would be led by the RSL/Devon Home Choice. All applicants are asked a range of questions to establish their needs to ensure any property offer is matched to their needs. Copy of Application form attached

Adverts of vacant properties include appropriate advert details to ensure it is let by the RSL in the most appropriate manner. See sections 4.4, 4.7 and 4.8 of the DHC Policy: Devon Home Choice Policy v12.7 18 December 2024a.pdf. Adverts could include reference to a Local Lettings Policy which may in place to address an identified area ASB issue and/or a one off sensitive let for 1 advert

12. This would be led by the RSL, the Council does not hold this information

13. The application process of Devon Home choice uses question sets to determine if someone if suitable for a property (see attached application form). The RSL would take this in to account when an applicant is considered for a property

14. In addition to the DHC application information, RSL’s undertake their own application assessment. RSL’s are required to up hold certain standards and are accountable to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) Regulator of Social Housing - GOV.UK

15. This is not held by the Council, please contact the Regulator of Social Housing for this information

16. North Devon Homes can refer to their tenancy support services, Victim Support and Citizens Advice. You may also wish to contact an RSL for further details and/or the Regulator of Social Housing

17. 17. All applications for housing, including transfers, are assessed in accordance with the DHC Policy and Selection for properties are in accordance with section 4.13 and 4.14 of the DHC Policy

18. If there is an open ASB investigation by the Council, the officer dealing with the case will inform the complainant of the investigation process and legal remedies that could be used to address the issue

19. The responsibility would be on the tenants to report this to the lead agency. This information could then be shared by the lead agency to other partners

20. Any concerns that the Council may have with housing providers (RSLs) in this regard would be raised through their complaints process and any unsatisfactory outcomes would be referred onto the Social Housing Ombudsman and/or the Regulator of Social Housing for further investigation

21. Formal complaint process, recommendations from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. In discussion with partner agencies such as Community Safety Partnership, in feedback and liaison with RSLs

22. As per the response provided for 20. Above

23. The Local Government Ombudsman which is linked to the Council’s formal complaints process

24. The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED, or “the duty”), which applies in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), requires public authorities to have due regard to certain equality considerations when exercising their functions, like making decisions. The Council operates within relevant legislation and in accordance with its Constitution

25. The Council always strive to respond to complainants in a timely manner. This response time may be affected by waiting on responses from partner agencies who may be leading on the investigation

Request reference: FOI 10364

Issue date: 04.03.25

Request received: 

All information and correspondence that North Devon Council holds on the piece of land known as Lagoon View Community Orchard in Yelland

Response provided:

The applicant was advised that the Council does hold some information that falls under the remit of their request, some which is published via the Council’s website and where it is not publicly available, this was provided to them with all third party personal data redacted throughout in accordance with Section 40 of the Act 

Request reference: FOI 10367

Issue date: 05.03.25

Request received: 

1. Does the authority currently use any 3rd party accounts payable forensic software or statement automation tools? 

2. What is the annual cost of that service? 

3. What is the expected contract expiry date? 

4. Job title of the individual/s responsible for the contract? 

Response provided:

1. The Council does not have any identified Accounts Payable Forensic Software

2, 3 and 4. Not Applicable

Request reference: FOI 10370

Issue date: 04.03.25

Request received: 

Details of Significant/Multi Loads fly-tipping incidents recorded by the authority over the most recent 12 months on record, as well as the previous 12 months on record (separately)

In particular: 

1. The specific location of the incidents

2. How much waste was dumped (rough estimate is acceptable)

3. Whether it was cleared up in full

4. How much it cost to clear it up

5. Was there any enforcement as a result, and if so, what?

6. If perpetrators were fined, then please provide the amount they were fined. If they were jailed, then please provide the sentence length. If the authority doesn't have access to this information, then please proceed with the other parts of the request and ignore this question

Response provided:

The Council confirmed to the applicant that it does hold some of this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council provided the following response. Please note that figures are complete to the end of December 2024, therefore the figures are for January – December 2023 and January – December 2024

With regards to Q4, the Council does not record exact costs of removal. When Environmental Protection are required to submit a quarterly return they use the figure of £360 per case (for Significant/Multiple Loads), but this is just an estimate based on national averages

2023

WK/202208175 - Q1: Howard Avenue, Barnstaple - Q2: 3 loads of varied items including 2 large white goods, tyre, And children’s toys - Q3: Yes - Q4: Unknown - Q5: No

WK/202306112 - Q1: Station Road, Ilfracombe - Q2: Chairs, tables, Bin bags, food - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202205418 - Q1: New Barnstaple Road, Ilfracombe - Q2: Building rubble, tree stumps and earth - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202207975 - Q1: top end of Sterridge Valley, Berrynarbor - Q2: Construction or demolition waste - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202303076 - Q1: Tarry Lane, Ilfracombe - Q2: Black bagged mix of domestic waste - Q3: Yes - Q4: Unknown - Q5: No

WK/202304471 - Q1: Queen Street, South Molton - Q2: about 10 large black bags - Q3: Yes - Q4: Unknown - Q5: No

WK/202381775 - Q1: near to Warkleigh - Q2: 5 lorry loads of earth - Q3: Yes - Q4: Unknown - Q5: No

WK/202303315 - Q1: Diamond Street, Barnstaple - Q2: Two large Coastal green and black bins overflowing, with 9 bags strewn across the highway - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202300572 - Q1: Banks of The River Taw, Barnstaple - Q2: Various household items. Bin bags etc - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202208523 - Q1: Old Bideford Road, Roundswell - Q2: Various vehicle going in and out of a field dumping waste Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

2024

WK/202308558 - Q1: Hughes Avenue, Barnstaple - Q2: Bin bags, wood, waste, paint, household items, furniture - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202309170 - Q1: Windy Ash Hill, Rumsam - Q2: All kinds of refuse - household and more - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202308104 - Q1: Taw Wharf, Sticklepath - Q2: Accumulation of rubbish on the side of the river - Q3: No - Q4: N/A - Q5: No

WK/202308274 - Q1: Goodleigh to Westacott Road - Q2: Lots of bags and boxes pillows and now littering the road - Q3: Yes - Q4: Unknown - Q5: No

Request reference: FOI 10382

Issue date: 05.03.25

Request received:

1. Please provide the following information for the listed years:

2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25

a. Number of public toilets open for use

b. Number of toilets operated or owned by the council

c. Annual cleaning costs for public toilets

d. Annual budget for street cleaning

2. Please provide the following information for 2024/25:

a. Average length of time that public toilets are open (in hours)

b. Shortest length of time that any public toilet is open (in hours)

3. What are the main reasons given for closing public toilets?

Response provided:

1. a) and b) Applicant provided with this information in Excel format which is available upon request

c) As follows:

 

Year                Annual cleaning costs for public toilets

2010/11           199,789

2011/12           192,871

2012/13           212,112

2013/14           117,407

2014/15           121,525

2015/16           155,861

2016/17           153,019

2017/18           144,662

2018/19           113,049

2019/20           118,714

2020/21           251,855

2021/22           260,884

2022/23           217,083

2023/24           194,794

2024/25           210,190

d) As follows:

Year                Annual budget for street cleaning

2010/11           733,350

2011/12           691,170

2012/13           628,040

2013/14           600,900

2014/15           573,180

2015/16           541,780

2016/17           601,030

2017/18           647,610

2018/19           671,210

2019/20           713,470

2020/21           757,930

2021/22           717,170

2022/23           808,560

2023/24           828,040

2024/25           897,300

2. a) The majority are open 24 hours, three are locked overnight; therefore the average would be approximately 21 hours

b) Shortest length of time open is eight hours between 9am and 5pm during winter

3. Vandalism, safety, homelessness 

Request reference: FOI 10379

Issue date: 13.03.25

Request received:

In accordance with s.149 Equality Act 2010, the applicant requested a copy of:

1. The Council’s most recent and its historical written compliance record; and 
2. any other information recorded/held about the impact of requiring Disabled people and non-Disabled people applying for housing and homeless assistance under either Part 6 or Part 7 Housing Act 1996 to complete application forms (or otherwise communicate) online

Response provided:

1. The Council does not hold a single document that could be considered a historical written compliance record. The Council does however publish Equality Impact Assessments, however there are none that specifically cover the remit of the applicant’s request. The applicant was provided with the Devon Home Choice EIA for the 2023/24 financial year which the Council is the choice based letting scheme covering the whole of Devon which includes North Devon

With regard to Devon Home Choice (DHC) (Part 6) the Council’s Housing team completed an Equalities Impact Assessment on the original DHC Policy and then completed an EIA on every annual Policy review. Section 1.5 of the DHC Policy sets out the approach to ‘Equal opportunities: ensuring access to DHC for all’ - Devon Home Choice Policy v12.7 18 December 2024a.pdf

Furthermore, Housing Options have identified the following wording that is included within their Intentionally Homeless letter/email:

How I have considered the Public Sector Equality Duty in the context of my decision that you are intentionally homeless?

 

The public sector equality duty is an obligation placed on local authorities by the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to the need to take steps to take account of a person’s disability or any other protected characteristics. The equality duty therefore firstly requires me decide whether you are under disability or if you have another relevant protected characteristic

[Assessing officer either needs to follow on with either a) the next paragraph where they have decided that the applicant’s circumstances do not come under a protected characteristic set by the Equality Act, or b) the paragraphs that follow the next paragraph if the decision is that the applicant’s circumstances do come under a protected characteristic of the Equality Act.]

I have decided that you do not suffer from any disability and therefore do not come under the definition for this protected characteristic set by the Equality Act 2010. For the purposes of the Act this is defined as ‘a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’

I am also satisfied that you not come under any other protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010

2. Housing Options regret to confirm that other than what has already been provided to the applicant, they do not hold any other specific records/information that specifically addresses the impact of requiring Disabled people and non-Disabled people applying for housing and homeless assistance under either Part 6 or Part 7 Housing Act 1996 to complete application forms (or otherwise communicate) online; however they confirm that this will be raised with the Senior Management officer responsible for Housing so that they may address this as soon as possible 

Request reference: FOI 10385

Issue date: 06.03.25

Request received:

The applicant requested datasets related to planning and development, which they believe are held by your office. Specifically, the following information in shape file format or any other relevant details related to the following:

1. Settlement Boundaries: Defined perimeters that delineate areas where new development is generally permissible, contingent upon compliance with additional policies outlined in the Plan concerning the Council's developmental guidelines and restrictions

2. Article 4 Directions: Specific legal tools used by local planning authorities to restrict permitted development rights in an area, primarily to protect the character of conservation areas or other significant architectural or historical significance

3. Conservation Areas: Designated zones notable for their special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance

4. Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA): A comprehensive evaluation conducted to identify suitable land for housing development, aiming to ensure a sufficient supply to meet anticipated housing needs over a specific period

5. Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) in the UK are legal mechanisms used by local planning authorities to protect specific trees, groups of trees, or woodlands in the interest of amenity

Response provided:

1. Settlement Boundaries = provided

2. Article 4 Directions provided

3. Conservation Areas = provided

4. Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) – Not provided.  SHLAA has been replaced by HELAA

5. Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) = provided

Request reference: FOI 10388

Issue date: 07.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested details of complaints and updates to the bathrooms of council-owned properties during the period 1st January 2024 to December 2024, specifically:

1. The number of complaints relating to bathrooms during the time frame

2. The type of complaint, for example, mould, leaks, not fit-for-purpose fixtures etc.

3. Whether those complaints have been resolved and the work carried out

4. Date of resolution (if applicable)

As well as:

1. The number of works completed to bathrooms during the time frame (with or without complaints)

2. The type of works completed, for example, maintenance, mould removal, refit

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the following response:

Date of complaint	Type of complaint	Works carried out?	Date of work
25/11/24	Toilet seat failed	Yes	27/11/24
10/06/24	Macerator toilet failed	Yes	12/06/24
21/11/24	Leak from bathroom	Yes	22/11/24 and 02/12/24
December 2024	Bulb blown	Yes	18/12/24
August 2024	Rear of door paintwork flaking	Yes	September 24
January 2024	Change toilet pan	Yes	21/02/24
August 2024	Shower leak through ceiling and shower failure	Yes	23/08/24
November 2024	Toilet not working	Yes	20/11/24
January 2024	Loose tap	Yes	28/02/24
Date of works carried out	Type of work
December 2024	New flooring

North Devon Council’s former council housing stock was transferred to North Devon Homes Limited in February 2000

Request reference: FOI 10391

Issue date: 10.03.25

Request received:

1. As of 17/02/2025, how many planning officers do you employ?

2. How many did you employ at the start of the 2024/25 financial year?

3. How many did you employ at the start of the 2023/34 financial year?

4. How many did you employ at the start of the 2022/23 financial year?

5. How many did you employ at the start of the 2021/22 financial year?

Response provided:

1. 11
2. 12
3. 12
4. 11
5. 12

Request reference: FOI 10393

Issue date: 10.03.25

Request received: 

1. What are the biggest challenges your organisation currently faces in surveying and geospatial activity?

2. Are you confident in your full knowledge of the condition and knowledge of your impact on our local environment?

3. What are your organisation’s key strategic objectives for the next 12-24 months, and how does surveying and geospatial fit into these?

4. Please detail any planned development of sites or assets

5. Do you have a supplier for drainage mapping and surveying?

6. If so, please can you supply details of the contractual arrangements in place including date of award, details of any Framework used or link to the advertisement, contract value and duration?

7. If not, please can you indicate what evaluation of the requirement for surveying and geospatial works have been undertaken?

8. Please share your planned procurement pipeline for surveying and geospatial works for the next 12 months

9. How do you engage with potential new suppliers? Through open tenders, direct engagement, or supplier days?

10. Please can you confirm the individual responsible for managing your surveying and geospatial contracts or wider development contracts and provide their contact details and role title?

11. Please provide a list of frameworks that you procure related services through

12. Do you plan to repurpose any sites for renewable energy or solar farms?

13. Do you have any issues with subsidence in your properties? If so, where?

14. When developing/purchasing/selling a site, how do you verify that the boundaries are correct? 

15. Do you have any public cycleway schemes coming up in the next 12-24 months?

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold some of this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council provided the following response, however the applicant was advised to contact Devon County Council who conduct surveys for Highways and Drainage:

1. Lack of local surveying contractors to undertake topographical surveys
2. As far as able
3. No strategic objectives surrounding surveying. Land and topographical Surveys will be undertaken when/if required for projects as part of the data gathering process
4. Other information is generally gathered in-house
5. Engineering works are maintenance/repair related and not development sites.
6. No
7. N/A
8. Not required
9. Engineers do not have a planned survey/geospatial pipeline. These works are undertaken when required for projects/works
10. Quotes or direct engagement dependent on what is required and its urgency
11. No Individual. Engineers do not have a contract purely for surveying/geospatial data
12. N/A
13. N/A
14. N/A
15. N/A
16. This is not information held by this authority; Devon County Council are the responsible authority 

Request reference: FOI 10395

Issue date: 19.03.25

Request received:

Planning Permission and Site Licence for Tranquillity Residential Park, Woolacombe Station Road, Woolacombe, Devon EX34 7AN

1. The up-to-date: (a) residential site licence, (b) site licence conditions and (c) site plan for the Site

2. If there are any issues, i e investigations, reviews, or breaches of the site licence by the Council pertaining to the Site 

3. The up-to-date residential planning permission (or certificate of lawfulness) for the Site

4. If there are any issues, i e investigations or reviews or breaches regarding the planning by the Council?

5. Any breaches of the site licence and/or planning with reference to the park home stationed at number [redacted]

6. The Fit and Proper person register for the site

7. A copy of the site rules lodged with the Council

Response provided:

1. Applicant provided with a copy of the site licences, site licence conditions and site plans attached but with some of this information redacted. The Council considers that this redacted information to be exempt under Section 40 of the Act as the information constitutes personal data and those individual(s) would have no reasonable expectation for the Council to make their personal information publicly available. Section 40(2) provides that personal data is exempt information if one of the conditions set out in section 40(3A), (3B) or (4A) is satisfied

In this case Section 40(3A)(A) is met because disclosure of this information would breach the fair processing principle contained in the General Data Protection Regulation. This is an absolute exemption and there is therefore no requirement to consider the public interest

 

2. Environmental Health confirms that there are no live issues with regards to the site licence currently being investigated

3. Please refer to the Council’s website for this information: 65591 which was allowed on appeal in 2019

4. There are no live and current planning enforcement cases for the site

5. There are no breaches of the site licence associated with unit identified

6. Please refer to the Fit and Proper Person register on the Council website

7. There are no site rules lodged with the Council in respect of this site 

Request reference: EIR 10397

Issue date: 05.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 2BR

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10398

Issue date: 19.03.25

Request received: 

1. The total number of complaints or requests for service received by the council about residential gardens for each of the past five years from 2020 to 2024

2. If held, a breakdown of these complaints or requests for service by category, indicating the nature of the report (e g maintenance issues, dog fouling, safety concerns, rubbish complaints, overgrown, unsightly etc

3. If held, any actions or measures taken by the council to address these complaints or requests for service

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council provides the following response:

Please note that the Environmental Protection team do not have a separate complaint code relating to gardens, so an officer has looked at complaints that were coded as filthy/verminous premises/accumulation/deposits/high hedges and has listed below those that mention ‘gardens’, and includes the outcome at the end of each line

2020:

WK/201908268 - Very unpleasant smell from dog mess in subjects garden which is not being picked up - Verbal Warning Given

WK/201908513 - Old vans, building material and rubble in the front garden - No Action Taken

WK/201908802 - Large accumulation of waste in front garden - Verbal Advice Given

WK/201909298 - Residents of (address) have loads of rubbish in their back garden - No Action Taken

WK/202000031 - Concerned about asbestos being disturbed/broken up and buried in the garden - Informal Action

WK/202000378 - Neighbour has bags of rubbish, kids’ toys, bin bags and dog faeces in the back garden - Referred to Other Body

WK/202200386 - Neighbour has an accumulation of items in his garden which is close to boundary with customer - Advising Letter Sent

WK/202200414 - Dog mess, rubbish, etc in neighbour’s garden causing flies - Duplicate Complaint

WK/202001489 - Neighbour at (address) has accumulation issues in the garden - Informal Action

WK/202001683 - (Address) allows their dog to mess in the garden which is causing a nuisance/smell - Complaint Withdrawn

WK/202002087 - (Address) leaves lots of rubbish in her garden around 100 bin bags - Informal Action

WK/202002157 - (Address) is empty and garden and shared walkway is completely overgrown - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202002371 - Concerned about “disgusting state of the gardens” - Referred To Other Body

WK/202002553 - Reoccurrence of (address) still hosing dog poo from her garden - Referred To Other Body

WK/202002919 - Person at the above address is leaving all her household rubbish on the front garden - Complainant to Contact Us

WK/202003012 - Large quantities of dog poo in neighbours garden - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202003072 - The front garden of (address) is very overgrown, littered with rubbish, old furniture and broken toys - Referred to Other Body

WK/202003128 - Reoccurring issue with enormous amount of dog faeces regularly left in garden - Complainant to Contact Us

WK/202003746 - Continuing problems with neighbour including rubbish in garden - No Action Taken

WK/202003783 - Bags of domestic rubbish in her back garden - Works Done

WK/202004849 - (Address) has a sofa and rubbish piled in their front garden - Advising Letter Sent

2021:

WK/202006225 - Neighbour has lots of black bags in the back garden - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202006443 - Neighbours at (address) have left loads of household waste in their back garden - Works Done

WK/202006850 - Accumulation of 30 black bags in the neighbour’s garden - Referred To Other Body

WK/202008013 - Derelict property, rat infestation, squatters, and human faeces in garden - Referred To Other Unit

WK/202008052 - Several issues arising from pigeons that are being kept in the garden - Referred to Other Body

WK/202101795 - Accumulation of domestic waste in the rear garden, approx. 7 weeks - Works Done

WK/202101893 - Vegetation is encroaching on customer’s garden from neglected property next door - Informal Action

WK/202102059 - Neighbours garden is full of junk including 2 cars, washing machine, plastic bags and general waste - Informal Action

WK/202102139 - (Address) is leaving rubbish ie grass cutting and domestic rubbish piles in the front garden - No Action Taken

WK/202102519 - Garden very overgrown and snakes and rats seen - Complainant Advised

WK/202103452 - Garden full of all kinds of waste - Notice Served

WK/202105236 - Accumulation in front garden - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202105388 - Accumulation of rubbish in the garden of the property, bags of general waste and tyres - Nuisance Remedied Informally

WK/202105567 - “I’m having her cat’s poo in my garden on a daily basis” - Complainant To Contact Us

WK/202105753 - Concerns about neighbouring property with waste in garden - Complainant Advised

WK/202107314 - Neighbour has around 20-30 black bags full of refuse left in his garden - Premises Satisfactory

 

2022:

WK/202107408 - Neighbour is not picking up the dog mess within his garden - No Stat. Nuisance Determined

WK/202107756 - Neighbour at (address) has rubbish piled up in his garden - No Action Taken

WK/202108187 - Customers garden is filled with pigeon poo due to neighbours overhanging tree - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202200081 - Concerns of a fire hazard from neighbour accumulating large amounts of wood in the garden - Referred to Other Body

WK/202200476 - Next door neighbours have let their garden become extremely overgrown - Premises Satisfactory

WK/202201040 - The owner of (address) has buried asbestos in his garden on the boundary line - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202202472 - Black bags piled up around the garden - No Action Taken

WK/202202934 - Resident of (address) often has lots of rubbish in the front garden - Premises Satisfactory

WK/202203009 - Several months of rubbish accumulating in the garden of (address) - Referred to Other Body

WK/202203419 - Neighbours across the road leave loads of rubbish in their front garden - Advising Letter Sent

WK/202203613 - All kinds of waste left in the front garden which is being blown into the street - No Observations

WK/202203798 - Concerns about overgrown garden at neighbouring property - Complaint Unfounded

WK/202204226 - Customer reporting domestic rat problem caused by accumulation of rubbish in garden at (address) - No Stat. Nuisance Determined

WK/202204344 - Garden is full of what appears to be rubbish - Premises Satisfactory

WK/202204605 - Accumulation in front garden and allegation of rats - Referred To Other Body

WK/202204619 - Accumulation of rubbish in the garden of a neighbouring property - Informal Action

WK/202205254 - Neighbour at (address) has over 50+ black bags full of household waste piled up in her back garden - Refer Hsg. Management

WK/202205442 - Referred by Building Services re overgrown garden - Responded ty Letter

WK/202207632 - Accumulation issues in the front garden - Referred to Other Body

2023:

WK/202208586 - Accumulation of rubbish in neighbours back garden - Complainant To Contact Us

WK/202208648 - Various concerns including the unloading of waste material onto a large pile in the back garden - No Action Taken

WK/202301407 - Very overgrown garden causing rats - Closed, No Response

WK/202301545 - Problems with dog mess in neighbour’s garden - Duplicate Complaint

WK/202301570 - Neighbour does not clear up dog mess in their garden - Verbal Advice Given

WK/202303326 - Ongoing issue regarding overgrown garden - Informal Action

WK/202303419 - Garden waste causing boundary fences to rot and generally lowering tone of the area - Outstanding

WK/202304094 - Accumulation of waste in front garden of (address) - Complaint Unfounded

WK/202304253 - Lots of fridges/freezers left in the front garden - No Action Taken

WK/202305129 - Overgrown garden that is causing amenity issues (overshadowing, rats, etc) - Works Done

WK/202305139 - Garden at this address is full of household rubbish and waste such as fridge freezers, mattresses, etc - Referred to Other Body

WK/202305153 - There has been a fridge-freezer and mattress in the front garden of this property for approximately 6 months - Closed, No Response

WK/202305156 - Garden of (address) is full of food waste and household rubbish bags - Referred to Other Body

WK/202306028 - Brambles and ivy from back garden of number 4 is severely overgrown and coming into customers garden - Works Done

2024:

WK/202307954 - Black wheelie bin full of rubbish and carrier bags full of rubbish is left out in the front garden all of the time - No Action Taken

WK/202307961 - Large number of black bin bags in the back garden of the property - Advising Letter Sent

WK/202308299 - Accumulation of a lot of waste in garden of (address) and concerned about vermin - Refer Housing Management

WK/202308340 - Garden full of waste bags and tyres causing rats - Premises Satisfactory

WK/202308452 - “Front garden is full of dog faeces and it smells” - Advising Letter Sent

WK/202402304 - Accumulation of items and overgrown garden - Referred To Other Body

WK/202402325 - Lots of waste in neighbours garden - Premises Satisfactory

WK/202402933 - Neighbours garden is like a wilderness, possible asbestos issue - Informal Action

WK/202403880 - Accumulation of waste in the front garden - No Action Taken

WK/202404324 - Overgrown garden encroaching onto a footpath - Works Done

WK/202406427 - Issues with neighbours waste being left out in their garden and driveway - No Action Taken

WK/202406484 - Neighbours overgrown front garden at (address) which is like a dumping site - Complainant to Contact Us

WK/202406600 - Large accumulation of items in front garden of (address) - Complaint Unfounded

WK/202406995 - Bamboo from (address) invading customers garden - Complainant Advised

WK/202407051 - Issues with the state of the rear garden - Referred to Other Body

WK/202407429 - Accumulation of rubbish black bags, household items, old bedding, bottles which is in both front and back gardens - Closed, No Further Action

WK/202408080 - Rear garden is covered in dog faeces - Closed, No Further Action

Request reference: EIR 10399

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

copies of all written notifications provided to North Devon Council under Class BC Part 4 General Permitted Development Order 2015 (as amended) for the operation of a temporary 60 day campsite to operate in Georgeham Parish in 2025 and a copy of any accompany site licences issued as a result of such written notification being provided

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held with all third party personal data redacted in accordance with Regulation 13 of the EIR

Request reference: EIR 10400

Issue date: 05.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX36 3GD

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10402

Issue date: 18.03.25

This is a request for information that relates to the organisation’s contracts around ICT contract(s) for Server Hardware Maintenance, Server Virtualisation Licenses and Maintenance and Storage Area Network (SAN) Maintenance/Support, which may include:

• Server Hardware Maintenance- contracts relating to the support and maintenance of the organisation’s physical servers

• Virtualisation Maintenance/Support/ Licensing (VMware, Solaris, Unix, Linux, Windows Server)

• Storage Area Network Maintenance/Support (EMC, NetApp etc)

For each of the types of contract described above, please can you provide me with the following data? If there is more than one contract please split the information for each separate supplier this includes annual spend

1. Contract Title: Please provide me with the contract title

2. Type of Contracts (ABOVE): Please can you provide me with one or more contract types the contract relates to: Server Hardware, Virtualisation, SAN (Storage Area Network)

3. Existing/Current Supplier: Please provide me with the supplier name for each contract

4. Brand: Please state the brand of hardware or software 

5. Operating System / Software (Platform): (Windows, Linux, Unix, Vsphere, AIX, Solaris etc.) Please state the operating system used by the organisation

6. Annual Average Spend: Please provide me with the most recent annual spend for this contract?

7. Contract Duration: (Please can you also include notes if the contract includes any contract Extension periods.)

8. Contract Expiry Date: Please can you provide me with the date of when the contract expires

9. Contract Review Date: (An approximate date of when the organisation is planning to review this particular contract.)

10. Purchase of Servers: Could you please provide me with the month and year in which most/bulk of servers were purchased

11. Number of Physical Server: Please can you provide me with the number of physical servers

12. Number of Virtual Servers: Please can you provide me with the number of Virtual servers

13. Brief Contract Description: I require a brief description of the service provided under this contract. Please do not just put maintenance. I need at least a sentence

14. Contract Owner: (The person from within the organisation that is responsible for reviewing and renewing this particular contract. Please include their full name, job title, direct contact number and direct email address)

Response provided:

Applicant advised that the response provided to them for the same information (see FOI 10239 on the November 2024 Disclosure Log) still stands as there have been no changes to the data between then and the council’s response provided 18.03.25

Request reference: FOI 10403

Issue date: 04.03.25

Request received: 

Information regarding First Class flights made by elected members and officers of the Council: 

1. Total number of First Class flights in the following financial years:
   1. 2019/20
   2. 2020/21
   3. 2021/22
   4. 2022/23
   5. 2023/24
   6. 2024/25 up to 21st February
2. Total expenditure on First Class flights in the following financial years:
   1. 2019/20
   2. 2020/21
   3. 2021/22
   4. 2022/23
   5. 2023/24
   6. 2024/25 up to 21st February
3. Number of people on each flight traveling First Class
4. Position within the Council of those traveling First Class
5. Destination and purpose of the flight

Response provided:

1. a), b), c), d), e) and f) Zero in each year

2. a), b), c), d), e) and f) £0/Zero in each year

3. N/A

4. N/A

5. N/A 

Request reference: EIR 10405

Issue date: 05.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX34 7AN

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10408

Issue date: 20.03.25

Request received: 

1. The number of breakdown incidents for your bin lorries used by your council in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

2. The average age of the bin lorries used by your council

3. The age of the oldest bin lorry used by your council

4. The cost of insuring the bin lorries used by your council in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

5. The amount of money spent on repairing and maintaining the bin lorries your council used in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

Response provided:

1. This is not recorded, therefore the Council does not hold this information.

2. 2016 = Two

    2018 = Three

    2021 = Five

    2023 = Six

    2024 = One

    (SFS spares: 2017 = Two, 2018 = One)

3. 2016

4. The Council is able to provide the motor insurance premium for its whole fleet for the years requested, however it is not possible to break this down to just bin lorries on their own as there are multiple factors that go into the premium figure and is not based solely on the value of vehicle or number of types of vehicle. The whole fleet comprises of but not limited to: pool cars, recycling trucks, trade waste trucks, garden waste trucks refuse trucks, parks vans and trucks, telehandlers and fork lift trucks

Motor premium including insurance premium tax (whole fleet):                     

2019/2020 = £84,371.50

2020/2021 = £96,831.28

2021/2022 = £94,245.27

2022/2023 = £109,768.40

2023/2024 = £165,648.00

2024/2025 = £217,453.60

 

5. 2019/20 = £417,886

    2020/21 = £433,853

    2021/22 = £517,181

    2022/23 = £475,260

    2023/24 = £430,072 

    2024/25 = £444,171 (Projected)

Request reference: FOI 10409

Issue date: 25.03.25

Request received: 

Information regarding the council’s expenditure on temporary accommodation for homeless individuals and families:

1. The total amount spent by the council on temporary accommodation in each of the last five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24).

2. A breakdown of this spending, specifically:

a) The amount spent on Bed and Breakfasts and hotels as temporary accommodation in each of the last five financial years

b) The number of households placed in Bed and Breakfasts/hotels each year

3. The longest continuous period any household has spent in Bed and Breakfasts/hotel accommodation in the last 12 months

4. The average length of stay in Bed and Breakfast/hotel accommodation for homeless households in the last 12 months

5. The total number of council-owned homes managed by the local authority currently classified as not fit for human habitation under the Housing Act 2004 or deemed non-decent under the Decent Homes Standard

6. A breakdown of the reasons why these homes have been classified as unfit (e g, damp/mould, structural issues, electrical hazards, lack of heating etc)

7. The number of complaints from tenants about poor housing conditions received by the council in each of the last five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24)

8. The amount spent on repairs and maintenance of council homes in each of the last five financial years

Response provided:

1 and 2 a). This information is in the public domain on the Council’s website within the linked Cost of providing temporary accommodation to the Council dataset

2 b) 19/20 – 82

       20/21 - 127

       21/22 - 111

       22/23 - 115

       23/24 – 91

       24/25 - 60

3. 113 days

4. 18 days

5-8. This information is not held by the Council as it no longer holds a Council housing stock (this was transferred to North Devon Homes Ltd in February 2000)  

Request reference: FOI 10410

Issue date: 03.03.25

Request received: 

Closed theatres, swimming pools, leisure centres:

a) Could you please provide me with the total number of theatres in your area to have closed in the last 10 years? 

b) Could you please provide me with the total number of swimming pools in your area to have closed in the last 10 years? 

c) Could you please provide me with the total number of leisure centres in your area to have closed in the last 10 years?

Response provided:

a) N/A

b) One. North Devon Leisure Centre (NDLC) (2022) replaced by Tarka Leisure Centre which opened the same day as NDLC closed.

c) As b) above

c) Could you please provide me with the total number of leisure centres in your area to have closed in the last 10 years?

Request reference: FOI 10411

Issue date: 18.03.25

Request received: 

In Lynton and Lynmouth the NDC Car Parks charges have risen markedly with between a 40% and 60% increase to between £14 and £16 per day compared to South Molton at £2.50 per day

A Councillor advised the applicant that these recommendations came from a NDC Car Park Working Group and that this Working Group reported to the Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee who rubber stamped it before putting it to Full Council

The applicant therefore requested to know:

1. Who sat on the Car Park Working Group?

2. Who was the Chair?

3. Who they took advice from who put forward these big increases and their recommendations?

5. Copies of all minutes from the Car Park Working Group meetings

Response provided:

1. Jon Triggs, Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive 

    Sarah-Jane Mackenzie-Shapland, Head of Place, Property and Regeneration

     Lena Iliffe, Car Parks Manager

Members of the Cross-Party Car Parks Review Working Group:

Councillor Joy Cann, Bickington Ward

Councillor Helen Walker, Bickington Ward 

Councillor June Williams, Ilfracombe East Ward

Councillor Mark Haworth-Booth, Landkey Ward

Councillor Malcolm Prowse, Bratton Fleming Ward

Councillor Frank Biederman, Fremington Ward

Councillor Jonathan Quinn, Ilfracombe West Ward

Councillor Pru Maskell, Braunton and West Georgeham Ward

2. Councillor Helen Walker

3. Officers who are list above who supported the working group

4. Outputs from the cross-party working group were put forward to Strategy and Resources Committee for Member consideration

5. There was no support in terms of minute taking from the Corporate and Community Services team as this was an informal cross-party working group

Request reference: FOI 10412

Issue date: 14.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested data on houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) in the Council’s jurisdiction by calendar year from 2019 to 2024

1. How many reports of unlicensed HMOs were received, how many investigations of unlicensed HMOs were conducted, and how many were identified. Additionally, if recorded, please also provide the number of those investigations which were conducted jointly with police/law enforcement

2. An estimate as to how many unlicensed HMOs there are in the council area? (I understand this will be an approximate figure and not exact)

3. Regarding enforcement action taken against unlicensed HMO landlords, please provide the number of fines/civil penalties, management orders, banning orders, rent repayment orders, and/or criminal prosecutions by year over the period. If it is difficult to access this information, then please limit it to just the number of fines and criminal investigations if more readily available

4. Relating to the above number of civil penalties/fines and criminal prosecutions for unlicensed HMOs, what was the financial value of the fines ordered to be paid by year over the period, and if recorded, how many prosecutions resulted in criminal conviction?

5. How many licensed HMOs are there in your area? Please also break this down by year, providing a snapshot of the number of HMO licenses as of 31st December each year, if this is feasible. Alternatively, please provide the number of current active HMO licenses held, and any historic snapshots that you may hold with relevant dates

How many housing condition-related warrants have been executed in general for all types of housing? Please break this down by year and also by whether the warrant was related to overcrowding or breach of housing notices, if accessible

7. If recorded, please provide the same information on housing warrants for HMOs specifically

Response provided:

1. As follows:

Year	Reports of unlicensed HMOs	All investigations of suspected unlicensed HMOs	Of which investigations conducted with police/law enforcement	Confirmed unlicensed HMOs
2019	2	2	0	0
2020	3	3	0	0
2021	3	3	1	1
2022	8	8	1	2
2023	4	4	0	1
2024	6	4	0	Ongoing

2. 20

3. As follows:

Year	Fines/civil penalties	Management orders	Banning orders	Rent repayment orders	Criminal prosecutions
2019
2020
2021				1
2022	2
2023
2024

4. As follows:

Year	Value of fines/civil penalties	Number of successful criminal convictions
2019
2020
2021
2022	£38,000
2023
2024

5. As follows:

Year	Licensed HMOs
End of 2019
End of 2020
End of 2021
End of 2022
End of 2023
End of 2024	53 (+ 2 in draft)

6. As follows:

Year	All housing warrants issued	Of which for overcrowding	Of which for breach of housing notices
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0

7. As follows:

Year	Housing warrants issued for HMOs	Of which for overcrowding	Of which for breach of housing notices
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
2024	0

 

Request reference: FOI 10413

Issue date: 04.03.25

Request received: 

Details of how legally protected bats are protected during maintenance works, works to soffits and during re-roofing works of NDC properties in line with the legislation protecting them

1. How are NDC complying with the legislation protecting roosting bats when undertaking maintenance, works to soffit boxes and re-roofing of LPA-owned properties

2. Who the contractor is that undertakes this work

3. Details of how many bat surveys have been carried out to locate bat roosts before works take place

4. Details of how many properties were found to have bats

5. Details of how bats in these properties have been safeguarded

6. Details of how many European Protected Species Licences were obtained to allow works to NDC properties do proceed lawfully where bats were found to be roosting

7. Details on what training contractors have had to ensure they can recognise bat droppings, live or dead bats

8. Details of what policy is in place at NDC if bats or bat droppings are found during works

Response provided:

1. By employing a third party ecologist to risk assess and advise on when and how works should be undertaken. If required, the ecologist will be on site whilst works are undertaken so that suitable action can be taken

2. This would depend upon the works and availability

3. This information is not recorded

4. This information is not recorded

5. Any recommendations provided by an ecologist would be followed

6. This information is not recorded. Licences are obtained via Ecologists

7. This information is not recorded. If required, Ecologists will provide Tool Box Talks to Contractors where appropriate

8. The Council does not have a documented policy

Request reference: EIR 10414

Issue date: 27.03.25

Request received: 

With regard to Braunton Service Station, Braunton Service Station, Exeter Road, BRAUNTON, Devon, EX33 2BJ the applicant requested the following as part of the environmental enquiry:

1. Is the site registered, or likely to be registered in the future, as contaminated land by the Council under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990? 
2. Is the site on the Council’s prioritisation list as part of your contaminated land strategy? If so, where does it sit on this list?
3. Do you know of any pollution or contamination incidents or issues that have occurred or are occurring at or near the site? 
4. Are you aware of any environmental conditions that were attached to the initial application of the site? If so, have these been discharged to the satisfaction of the Council?
5. Are there any records of landfills/made ground (type, date, who by, concerns) present at or near the site? If so, are there any concerns relating to gas at the site (ground gas protection measures necessary?)? 
6. Are there any records of complaints about the site e.g. odour, noise, nuisance? 
7. Are there any Part B processes on the site or nearby? 
8. Is the site operating in compliance with its Part B permit?

Response provided:

Questions 1, 2, 5:

Applicant provided with a map and spreadsheet (QGIS contaminated land report) in response which is available upon request

The Council’s responding Environmental Health department does not hold any other records regarding potentially contaminated land in this area. It was recommend that the applicant also contacts the Environment Agency and Devon County Council regarding any information they may hold in relation to the site or the land in the vicinity

North Devon Council has not yet fully inspected its area to identify sites of contaminated land as required by Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. As such, it is not possible to say whether or not this site will be classified under this legislation. At this time, it is considered unlikely that this site would be the subject of inspection under this legislation to the future

Question 3: None

Question 4: No, not aware of any

Question 6: None

Question 7: Yes

Question 8: Yes 

Request reference: FOI 10415

Issue date: 10.03.25

Request received: 

Information on commercially available rents:

1. The number of commercial properties that are available to let that are provided by your local authority in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

2. What is the average monthly cost for commercial properties that are available to let that are provided by your local authority in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

3. The number and proportion of commercial properties that are available to let that are provided by your local authority that are vacant in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

4. Only if known and possible, the average daily footfall in your local authority’s town centres in each of the following years: a) 2019, b) 2020, c) 2021, d) 2022, e) 2023, f) 2024

Response provided:

1. As follows:

Woodlands 7 properties 2019 – 2024

Average rent 2019 £33k 2020 £33k 2021£ 28k 2022 £28k 2023 £34k 2024 £34k

Old Ice Factory 5 properties 2019 – 2024

Average rent 2019 £28k 2020 £28k 2021 £28k 2022 £28k 2023 £31k 2024 £31k

Butcher Row 12 Properties

Average rent 2019 £71k 2020 £71k 2021 £65k 2022 £86k 2023 £97k 2024 £118k

96 Boutport Street 1 Property

Average rent 2019 £8k, 2020 £8k, 2021 £8k, 2022 £7,5k, 2023 £8.5k, 2024 £8,5k

Gaydon Street 1 property 

Average rent 2019 – 2024 £6k

2. As follows:

Woodlands 7 properties 2019 – 2024

Average monthly rent 2019 £393, 2020 £393, 2021 £333, 2022 £333, 2023 £404, 2024 £34k

Old Ice Factory 5 properties 2019 – 2024

Average monthly rent 2019 £466, 2020 £466, 2021 £466, 2022 £466, 2023 £156, 2024 £515

Butcher Row 12 Properties

Average monthly rent 2019 £493, 2020 £493, 2021 £451, 2022 £597, 2023 £673, 2024 £819

96 Boutport Street 1 Property

Average monthly rent 2019 £666, 2020 £666, 2021 £666, 2022 £625, 2023 £708, 2024 £708

Gaydon Street - 1 property 

Average monthly rent £500 2019 – 2024

3. As follows:

Vacant property 

Woodlands - 2019 Nil, 2021 Nil, 2022 1, 2023 Nil, 2024 Nil

Old Ice Factory - 2019 Nil, 2021 Nil, 2022 1, 2023 Nil, 2024 Nil

Butchers Row - 2019 1, 2021 1, 2022 Nil, 2023 1, 2024 2

4. This data is not recorded/held

Request reference: FOI 10417

Issue date: 11.03.25

Request received: 

1. The number of children’s parks in your local area

2. The number of children’s parks in your area that are accessible or contain accessible equipment for disabled children? 

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold some of this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council’s Parks team provided the following response, however this information only covers those that owned/managed by North Devon Council, it does not maintain the information for all parks and green space in North Devon:

1. 29

2. Some accessible features 12, generally accessible 17

Request reference: FOI 10418

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

1. The total number of patients referred to you as per duty to refer by all the NHS hospitals, trusts and foundation in your area of jurisdiction between 1 January 2024 and January 2025 because they were at risk of or experiencing homelessness

2. The total number of patients with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) referred to you as per duty to refer by all the NHS hospitals, trusts and foundation in your area of jurisdiction between 1 January 2024 and January 2025 because they were at risk of or experiencing homelessness

3. The total number of people, who were provided accommodation after being referred to you as per duty to refer by all the NHS hospitals, trusts and foundation in your area of jurisdiction between 1 January 2024 and January 2025 because they were at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Please provide the number with breakdown by the duration of stay, like number of days, weeks or months, if possible

4. The total number of people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), were provided accommodation after being referred to you as per duty to refer by all the NHS hospitals, trusts and foundation in your area of jurisdiction between 1 January 2024 and January 2025 under the Care Act 2014. Please provide the number with breakdown by the duration of stay, like number of days, weeks or months, if possible

Response provided:

1. 24

2. Zero

3. Four in temporary accommodation Duration of stays a) 16 days b) 30 days c) 14 days d) 20 days

4. Zero

Request reference: FOI 10419

Issue date: 13.03.25

Request received: 

Details of the major IT systems used by the Council for the following of service areas:

Finance and Accounting

Human Resources (HR) and Payroll

Procurement and Contract Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Document and Records Management

Elections and Democratic Services

Social Care (Adults)

Social Care (Children)

Children’s Services (0-5)

Children’s Services (5-19)

Obesity Services

Mental health services

Education and Schools Management

Public Health and Wellbeing

Housing and Homelessness

Planning and Building Control

Highways and Transport

Waste Management & Environmental Services

Revenues and Benefits

Licensing and Regulatory Services

Community Safety and Crime Prevention

Fire and Rescue Service Management

Public Protection

IT Service Management and Helpdesk

Integration platforms

Cybersecurity and Data Protection

GIS and Mapping Services

 Specifically, the following information: 

• The name of the primary IT system/software used for each service area

• The name of the supplier/vendor providing the system

• The contract start date and end date

• The total contract value (or annual cost if available)

• The number of users/licenses for each system (if applicable)

If an IT system is not used, or the service are is not relevant for your organisation then please leave that line blank

If any of this information is already published in a publicly accessible location, please provide a link to where it can be found

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the Councils response in Excel format, which is available upon request. Applicant directed to Devon County Council for the following information:

Social Care (Adults)

Social Care (Children)

Children’s Services (0-5)

Children’s Services (5-19)

Obesity Services

Mental health services

Education and Schools Management

Public Health and Wellbeing

Highways and Transport

Integration platforms

Request reference: FOI 10420

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested details in respect to the contract the Council has in place for the Replacement, Upgrade & Maintenance of CCTV Cameras, Transmission & Control Room Equipment

1. a) Previous Suppliers - who applied for inclusion on each contract and were successful and not successful at the PQQ and ITT stages 

b) Awarded contract value at time of award, as well as Actual spend on this contract (and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date

c) Start date and duration of contract

2. A copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised

3. Will there be an opportunity for us to visit the site

4. Is there an extension clause in the contract and, if so, the duration of the extension?

5. Has a decision been made yet on whether the contract are being either extended or renewed?

6. Please provide the names, email addresses and works contact phone numbers of the following: Estates Director/Manager, Capital Manager, Sustainability Manager, Energy Manager, Procurement lead, Head of Security and senior officer (responsible for this contract)

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold this information, some of which is published via the Council's Contract Register: Replacement, Upgrade & Maintenance of CCTV Cameras, Transmission & Control Room Equipment

In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council provides the following response

1. a) The current supplier as published on the Council's Contract Register (link provided above) were the successful suppliers for this current contract and were also the suppliers of the previous contract. We are understanding this part of your request to mean that you are only seeking details of unsuccessful bidders if they were the previous suppliers, however if this has been misunderstood we would be grateful for further clarification from you

b) Please refer to the published contract register (link above) for the estimated total value of the contract

The spend on the contract to date is as follows:

£79,466.82 capital

£30,430.00 revenue (maintenance contract)

£109,896.82 total

c) Please refer to the Council's Contract Register (link above) for this information

2. Applicant provided with document 'Appendix A - Specification' which is available upon further request

3. At the time of this response no decision has been made about extending or renewing this contract

4. Please refer to the Council's Contract Register (link above) for this information

5. As 3. Above

6. Please refer to the Council's Contract Register (link above) for details of the Primary Contact 

Request reference: FOI 10421

Issue date: 04.03.25

Request received: 

Please answer for all and any billing authorities you work within/manage, if more than one

1. Please advise if there is anyone who deals with Housing associations landlords within council tax team, please provide their name, direct email address and phone number too please. If not, please provide and alternative email address, where we can get complicated queries dealt with and advise who can take responsibility for responding to queries. For example who can review the portfolio and advise if there are long term empty property premiums applied to accounts, with a view to getting these brought back into use. Or advise how many accounts have outstanding balance with courts summons or out with debt collectors

2. Is it possible to arrange an in person or teams meeting to discuss accounts and get certainty that they are up to date? How can this be arranged and who with? Please provide contact details

3. Can you please advise if there is an online portal that is useable for a Housing association to log on and download bills and review accounts? Please advise how we can get access

4. Please advise if the council tax department can extract data showing closed accounts with balances and or open accounts with long term premiums added

5. Please advise if the council has a registered charity or housing association listed as the account holder, is it policy to automatically apply class B exemption or does this need to be applied for each time a tenant changes. Please let me know if there is a different policy

6. Does the council automatically issue refunds for credits on accounts or do they have to be requested?

Response provided:

1. There is no one specific person dealing with Housing Association Landlords within the Council Team. The email address for any enquiry is: counciltax@northdevon.gov.uk 

2. It may be possible to arrange a Teams meeting to discuss accounts provided we hold a letter of authority from the Housing Association Landlords. Applicant provided with an email address to discuss this further

3. There is a portal to download bills and review accounts. Sign can be made through the council website 

4. Generic data can be extracted, however this is not something Council tax supplies on a regular basis

5. An application for the Class B exemption would be expected each time a tenant leaves

6. A refund application is provided when a credit bill is issued

Request reference: FOI 10422

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

1. How many council owned, public swimming pools do you currently own or operate (latest figures available)?

2. How many council owned, public swimming pools did you own or operate in the financial year 2014/2015?

3. How many council owned public swimming pools were sold, or closed, from the financial year 2014/2015 to the present date?

Response provided:

 1. Two

2. Two

3. One, North Devon Leisure Centre was replaced with Tarka Leisure Centre which opened the same day NDLC was closed 

Request reference: FOI 10424

Issue date: 18.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 1SL

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10426

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

1. How many public toilets you operated in the following years:

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2. How much you spent on public toilets in the following years:

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

3. The reasons for closure of your public toilets, if any

Response provided:

1 and 3. Applicant provided with the information where held in an Excel spreadsheet which is available upon request

2. 2019/20 - £205,158

    2020/21 - £356,172

    2021/22 - £316,707

    2022/23 - £293,339

    2023/24 - £304,601

    2024/25 – This total is not held at the time of this response. Some costs will not be known until the financial year has come to an end 

Request reference: FOI 10427

Issue date: 10.03.25

Request received: 

The number of council-run allotments under your authority 

The number of people currently waiting for a space at a council-run allotment 

The length of time people are currently waiting for allotment spaces on average

Response provided:

Number of allotments = One site with six plots

Numerical length of waiting list = Eight people

Average wait time = approximately four years

Request reference: FOI 10428

Issue date: 07.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested the current rates charged for the 2024/25 financial year (including reliefs and exemptions) in respect of the property listed below

TDK-Lambda Ltd, Kingsley Avenue, Ilfracombe, Devon EX34 8ES 

Response provided:

Gross Rates 01.04.24 – 31.03.25 = £80,262.00

Less Improvement Relief 21.05.24 - 31.3.25 £21,294.00

Amount payable = £58,968.00

Request reference: EIR 10429

Issue date: 14.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant is conducting research into the issues facing enforcement of the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016 (As Amended) and would request that your local authority answer the following questions under the Freedom of Information Act regarding private water supplies that you regulate under the regulations (if applicable) 

1. How many private water supplies as of January 2025 are regulated by your local authority?

2. How many staff are allocated within the local authority to carrying out all regulatory work for private water supplies as of January 2025?

3. How many Private water supplies were sampled in 2024?

4. Out of these supplies, how many were classified as regulation 9 supplies as defined within the regulations.

5. From the answer to question 3, how many supplies were regulation 10 supplies?

6. How many risk assessments of private water supplies were conducted in 2024?

7. How many supplies required risk assessment in 2024?

8. How many supplies sampled in 2024 failed for microbiological or chemical parameters? 

Response provided:

Q1. 306

Q2. One

Q3 283

Q4 249

Q5 34

Q6 33

Q7 This data is not held/recorded by the Council

Q8 43

Request reference: FOI 10430

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 1HR

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10431

Issue date: .03.25

Request received: 

The total amount of money, in pounds, spent by the local authority on consultancy services for the financial years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24

The breakdown of this spending, by service (e g adult social care, housing, etc), for the financial year 2023/24

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold some of this information and provided the applicant with the information, as far as it is recorded for the requested years, with some information that is considered to be personal data redacted throughout in accordance with Section 40 of the Act

Section 40(2) provides that personal data is exempt information if one of the conditions set out in section 40(3A), (3B) or (4A) is satisfied. In this case Section 40(3A)(A) is met because disclosure of this information would breach the fair processing principle contained in the General Data Protection Regulation. This is an absolute exemption and there is therefore no requirement to consider the public interest   

The applicant was advised that the Council does not have a specific cost code to which it records consultancy spend against, therefore some payments within the data that are not for consultancy but falls under the wider remit of External Professional Services. The only way in which the Council would be able to provide a more accurate response would require the Finance team to manually go through approximately 2,000 applicable invoices for the requested years and also make further enquiries with officers where any queries might arise. Finance confirms that they would need to spend anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes checking each applicable invoice, considering whether it falls within the remit of the request alone. It is not possible to be able to determine how long they would then require in following up any queries resulting from going through those invoices

Section 12 of the Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for Local Authorities is set at £450 by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours at £25 per hour in determining whether the Council holds the information, locating, retrieving and collating the information

It has been estimated that it would take anywhere between 50 and 83.3 hours (based on 1,000 invoices taking approximately 3 minutes to check and 1,000 taking 5 minutes to check). The procedure would cause serious disruption to the day to day working of the Council’s Finance team and therefore we are unable to process this part of the request any further. As set out in the previous paragraph, the Council has the right to refuse to provide the information in accordance with Section 12 of the Act

Request reference: FOI 10433

Issue date: 13.03.25

Request received: 

A copy of the Council structure chart for the Revenues and Benefits Service including names, job titles and contact details

Response provided:

Applicant was provided with a copy but with all personal information of staff below management level in accordance with Section 40 of the Act  

Request reference: FOI 10434

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

CON29 information relating to a property at EX34 0BB

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the information, where held and also directed to the Council’s website for some of the information 

Request reference: FOI 10435

Issue date: 13.03.25

Request received: 

1. Confirmation as to whether this council has at any point in the last 12 months suspended claims for housing benefit from a supported housing provider

2. A list of the supported housing providers the council suspended claims for housing benefit from

3. A breakdown of the reasons for suspending claims for housing benefit from those supported housing providers

4. A timeline of when these suspensions happened

Response provided:

1. Yes

2. Trinity Housing Association

3. Query over entitlement to Housing Benefit

4. Suspended from 17/2/2025 

Request reference: FOI 10436

Issue date: 25.03.25

Request received: 

Information relating to the Accounts Payable team capabilities and protections against fraud, errors, duplicates and compliance

1. Does the authority share accounts payable or procurement functions with another authority or shared service function? If yes, who?

2. Which ERP system is used by the authority (e g Oracle, SAP, Advanced, Civica)? 

3. Please state the total number and value of supplier transactions (invoices and credit notes) processed by Accounts Payable in the last financial year?

4. Does the authority utilise any third party software to identify or protect against supplier payment errors (including duplicate, erroneous payments or potential fraud) before payment is made? 

4a. If yes, please state the name of the software, the engagement date, the current contract end date and the annual value of the contract awarded to the external organisation (or total value and contract length).

5. Does the authority utilise any third party or third party software to identify historical payment errors (including duplicate, erroneous payments or potential fraud)?

5a. If yes, please state the name of the software or partner, the engagement date and the current contract end date and frequency of engagement (if not continuous). Please also provide the contract value or terms of engagement (if not a fixed fee)

5b. Please provide the value of monies recovered by the software or partner for the most recent financial year

6. Does the authority utilise any third party or third party software to reconcile supplier statements and identify overpayments or unclaimed credits on a regular basis? 

6a. If yes, please provide the name of the provider/software and a brief description of frequency/level of support

6b. Please provide the current contract end date and the annual value of the contract awarded to the external organisation (or total value and contract length)

7. Does the authority make any checks, either directly or via any third party or third party software to identify sanctioned suppliers, both directly and indirectly owned, within the supplier master file? 

7a. If yes, please provide the name of the provider/software and confirm the frequency of checking

Response provided:

1. No

2. Civica

3. 2023/24 Invoices 13,261 £38,253,753; Credit Notes 67 (£102,065)

4. Within Civica a) N/A.  We run quarterly reports to review for duplicate payments.  This lists everything that has been paid for either the same value/reference number

5. Within Civica a) N/A b) N/A.  No potential fraud has been identified, duplicate invoices are picked up at point of scanning.  We are part of the National Fraud Initiative (NFI), and we investigate any potential duplicate payments that are reported to us. The NFI matches from the Cabinet Office are biannually, 24/25 matches came out earlier this month, incorporating various different criteria reports, creditor name / addresses / bank account number / value / invoice number

6. No a) N/A b) N/A

7. No a) N/A 

Request reference: FOI 10437

Issue date: 27.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested a copy of the Lynton and Lynmouth agency agreement that was originally made in 1997 and any updates or changes made to date

Response provided:

The applicant was provided with the requested information (with all signatures of the individuals who signed them redacted under Section 40 of the Act) which is available upon request   

Request reference: FOI 10438

Issue date: 11.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested the following for the past 12 months:

1. The total number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued by the authority

2. The number of PCNs that were paid and unpaid

3. The total revenue generated from PCNs

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold this information in relation to Off-Street parking (car parks) only. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council directed the applicant to its website where the information is published in relation to Off-street parking (car parks):

1 and 2. Please refer to the published dataset ‘Summary of parking enforcement from 2011/12 – 2023/24

3. Please refer to the published dataset ‘Revenue received by the Council in Parking charges and fines – 2009/10 – 2023/24

On-Street Parking falls under the responsibility of Devon County Council and therefore they  will need to be contacted separately for their information 

Request reference: FOI 10439

Issue date: 31.03.25

Request received: 

Separately for the Household Support Fund; other discretionary local welfare assistance schemes (if the council has one in addition to the Household Support Fund); and the Holiday Activities and Food programme, please provide:

• Total annual expenditure

• Total annual number of applications

• Total annual number of approvals

• The type of awards made, and how many of each type of award were made

• Demographics of who received support

- by family type, in the following categories: couples with children, couples without children, single with children and single without children

- and by age group in these categories: working-age families with children, working-age families without children, pensioner families

Please provide this information for financial years 2021-22 to 2024-25 (inclusive). If it is not possible to provide information for all the years, please prioritise the most recent years

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the Council’s response regarding the Household Support Fund in Excel format, which is available upon request. There was no additional Local Welfare Scheme

With regard to the Holiday Activities and Food programme, this information is not held by the District Council; applicant advised to contact Devon County Council for this information 

Request reference: FOI 10443

Issue date: 18.03.25

Request received: 

1. The name(s) of the payment solution provider(s) your authority uses for:

• Online payments (e g websites to allow payment)

• In person payments (e g card machines at council offices or leisure centres)

• Telephone payments (e g automated or agent-assisted payments)

• Direct Debit processing

• Any other payment processing solutions used within your authority

2. Would you recommend these solutions based on your experience?

3. A relevant contact within your organisation who could discuss these solutions further

Response provided:

The Council uses Civica for all types of payments and is (at the time of this response) are currently testing Midcall to implement summer 25 to assist with PCI compliance. (still though Civica)

The Council also uses Firmstep forms to assist with more complex data gathering. (still interfacing with Civica)

The Council has recently signed another five year contract with Civica

Tony Rumble, Finance Manager, Governance

Request reference: FOI 10445

Issue date: 31.03.25

Request received: 

1. What is the temperature that each pool in your local authority area aims to achieve (as of March 2025) – please provide in degrees Celsius, please be as specific as possible, and provide temperatures for different pools if applicable (e g main pool and toddler pool)

2. Has there been a change in this aimed-for temperature changed in the past 5 years? If yes, please be as specific as possible on all changes since 2020

3. If yes to Q2, for each pool what is the primary reason for any changes in temperature?

4. If yes to Q2, was there any public consultation regarding a temperature change? If so, please share responses if possible

Response provided:

1. Target temperature at both Tarka Leisure Centre and Ilfracombe Pool is:

Competition Pool: 27-29C

Learner Pool: 30-32C

2. No

3. N/A

4. N/A 

Request reference: FOI 10446

Issue date: 14.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested information regarding the council's IT Service Management (ITSM) contracts and related services:

1. Current IT Service Management (ITSM) Provider(s)

- Name of the supplier(s) providing ITSM software and/or services

2. Contract Details

- Contract start date

- Contract end date

- Details of any contract extensions (if applicable)

- Total annual cost of the contract(s)

3. ITSM Tools and Software in Use

- Name of the ITSM tool(s) used by the council (e g ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, BMC Remedy, etc)

4. Procurement and Renewal

- Contract renewal date

- Procurement framework or tendering process used (e g G-Cloud, CCS Framework, Open Tender, etc.)

5. Contact Information

- Name and job title of the person(s) responsible for ITSM contract management and procurement (if available under FOI)

- Contact email or phone number (if permissible under FOI)

Response provided:

1. TOPdesk
2. This information is published via the link as provided in one above
3. This information is published via the link as provided in one above
4. As one above
5. This information is published via the link as provided in one above

 Request reference: FOI 10448

Issue date: 

Request received: 

1. Please list all open space land sold by the Council, including open space land sold by any of its predecessor authorities, since 13 November 1980

2. If the Council is unable to respond to question 1 (setting out the reason that may be the case), then, in the alternative and to the extent documents are retained and readily available, please list all open space sold by the Council, including open space land sold by any of its predecessor authorities, since 2000

3. With regard to the open space land listed as sold, please confirm whether the advertising requirements at section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 were followed

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the Council’s response in Excel format, which is available upon request

Request reference: FOI 10449

Issue date: 17.03.25

Request received: 

The following since the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation in February 2024:

1. The number of planning applications submitted to your local authority that were considered (a) large sites, (b) small sites as per the BNG classification 

2. What percentage of (a) large sites and (b) small sites had completed and submitted the relevant BNG documentation with their application (e g statement of applicability, pre-development biodiversity value of the on-site habitat, description of any irreplaceable habitat, on-site habitat plan)? 

3. What percentage of (a) large sites and (b) small sites planned to deliver the BNG (a) through fully onsite habitat creation and enhancement, (b) fully offsite compensation or (c) a combination of onsite/offsite 

4. The number of planning applications refused based on biodiversity-related concerns 

5. The number of staff working on implementing BNG at the end of 2023 and at the end of 2024

Response provided:

The Council provided the following response based upon the applications that Council’s Sustainability Officer has been consulted on (which will be the majority of applications subject to BNG):

1. a) 10 

    b) 226

    c) 172

2. 100%, otherwise application would not be validated.

3. a) Majors – Six onsite, Two offsite, Two De Minimis

    b) Minors – 52 onsite, 13 offsite, 161 exempt

4. None

5. One

The Council’s Sustainability Officer advises that if they were to run a full query of the Planning System to obtain the exact numbers of major/minor apps, they would be required to check each individually for BNG details which they consider would far exceed the 18 hour cost limit under Section 12 of the Act

Section 12 of the Act makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them would exceed the appropriate limit, which for Local Authorities is set at £450 by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours at £25 per hour in determining whether the Council holds the information, locating, retrieving and collating the information

The procedure would cause serious disruption to the day to day working of the Sustainability Officer, therefore the applicant was advised that the Council is unable to process this part of their request any further. As set out in the previous paragraph, the Council has the right to refuse to provide the information in accordance with Section 12 of the Act

Request reference: FOI 10450

Issue date: 19.03.25

Request received: 

1. Which arms, military and defence companies does the council currently hold direct investments in?

2. Which arms, military and defence companies does the council currently hold indirect investments in, for example through pooled funds?

3. What is the total value of these investments and how much is invested in each company? Please specify which are direct and indirect

Companies of relevance include, but are not limited to: Airbus, Babcock International, BAE Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, Chemring, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, General Electric, Honeywell, Huntington Ingalls, JCB, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Meggitt, Northrop Grumman, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce PLC, Rafael, RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), Smiths Group and Thales

Response provided:

1. None

2. The Council is not aware of any indirect investments

3. N/A

Request reference: FOI 10451

Issue date: 31.03.25

Request received: 

The names and addresses of all Landlord's within North Devon along with the locations of all HMO locations including addresses

Response provided:

Information provided to the applicant in Excel format, which is available upon request

Request reference: FOI 10456

Issue date: 17.03.25

Request received: 

1. The total number of on-residential council-owned buildings constructed with RAAC that are owned or managed by the council

2. The number of these buildings that are currently in need of repairs or maintenance due to issues with RAAC broken down annually by these financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 20223/24, 2024/25

3. The total cost to taxpayers for repairing or addressing the safety concerns related to RAAC in these buildings, including both ongoing and completed projects, broken down annually by these financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 20223/24, 2024/25

4. Any plans or strategies the council has in place to address the issues related to RAAC, including projected costs and timelines for repairs or replacements

Response provided:

1.         Zero

2.         Zero

3.         No costs in each requested year

4.         N/A 

Request reference: FOI 10458

Issue date: 21.03.25

Request received: 

1. A list of all the different priority “bands” (or levels, or categories) in the council’s social housing register/waiting list, and the current criteria for inclusion in each band

2. The number of people currently in each priority band

3. The average time the people in each priority band have been on the social housing register/waiting list (regardless of whether they have changed priority band during that time)

4. The predicted/likely waiting time to secure social housing for anyone newly joining each priority band 

The following question only applies to councils with responsibilities for carrying out housing repairs:

5. Please list all housing repair jobs concerning broken communal lifts since January 2023 – in each case, please state the location (individual tower block/housing development), whether the council classes the block/development in question as being accessible for disabled people, what the problem was, and how long it took for it to be fixed. Successive broken lifts at the same location should be listed separately

Where councils have housing ALMOs or similar, this request is being sent to both the council and the ALMO

Response provided:

1. North Devon Council is a partner of Devon Home Choice, a partnership for a Devon-wide housing register and vacancies. Please refer to the Devon Home Choice website: How it works | Devon home choice which includes short videos and an explanation of different Band (Band A to E), including summaries for each Band criteria. Alternatively, please see full Policy: Devon Home Choice Policy 

2. North Devon applicants by priority band as at 19.03.25:

Band A = Five

Band B = 351

Band C = 429

Band D = 784

Band E = 663

Total = 2,232

3. North Devon active applicants wait time (days) from band start date to 19.03.2025:

Band A = 290

Band B = 609

Band C = 556

Band D = 412

Band E = 715

Total Average = 560

4. North Devon applicants wait time (days) based on lets from the last 12 months from band start date - housed as at 20.03.2025:

Band A = 326

Band B = 637

Band C = 630

Band D = 608

Band E = 497

Total Average = 621

5. Not applicable - North Devon Council is no longer a stock holding local housing authority (this was transferred to North Devon homes Ltd, 21.02.2000) and therefore does not have housing repair responsibilities

 

Request reference: FOI 10461

Issue date: 19.03.24

Request received: 

1. Do you own or operate utility-scale electricity generation assets which export to the grid?

2. If so, what technologies? And are they ‘co-located’? e g a solar farm with a battery

3. How much electricity (in kWh) would you expect to be exported, from each asset, per year? And how much revenue would you expect to earn from the export in FY25/26?

4. When was each asset commissioned?

5. What is the current contractual arrangement to sell the power, to whom is it sold and what is the contract end date?

6. Do you partake in any government subsidy scheme in relation to the electrical output from the asset? e g Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROC) or Contracts for Difference (CfD)

7. Does your Local Authority have any plans in place to acquire, build or invest in electricity generation assets in the future?

7. a) If Yes, what is the:

- Type of Assets (e g Solar)

- Estimated Size of the assets in terms of electricity production

- Estimated dates of completion

- Organisations that are constructing the assets (if known)

Response provided:

1. No, the Council does not

2. N/A

3. N/A

4. N/A

5. N/A

6. N/A

7. Not at the time of this response

7.a) N/A 

Request reference: FOI 10462

Issue date: 19.03.25

Request received: 

Revenues regarding Lynton and Lynmouth Car Parks and also minutes from the "The Car Park Rev-iew Working Party" from September, October, November and December

Response provided:

Applicant directed to the Council’s published dataset on its website: Revenue received by the Council in parking charges and fines - 2009/10 - 2023/24 however this does not provide a breakdown per car park. The applicant was provided with this information via the Parking office for which it is held for the years: 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 to date:

            Pay and Display     RingGo          Total:

24-25    £259,862.00     £180,132.40    £439,994.40

23-24    £271,469.75     £188,043.60    £459,513.35

22-23    £229,826.95     £131,858.30    £361,685.25

21-22    £8,677.40         £4,751.70        £13,429.10

The Council’s confirmed that it does not hold this data for the years prior 2021/22; therefore the applicant was advised to request this directly from Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council as they are subject to the provisions of the FOIA and so they manage and respond to requests that they receive direct

The applicant was further advised that there were no minutes taken of the Cross Party Car Parks Review Working Group meetings, therefore the Council does not hold this information

Request reference: FOI 10463

Issue date: 19.03.25

Request received: 

Information relating to Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Specifically: 

How many animals covered by the act are living in the Council’s jurisdiction?

Each individual animal covered by the act that is living in the council's jurisdiction 

The location of that animal

When the licence was first granted

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council confirmed that it does not currently have any Dangerous Wild Animals licences in place, please see the Council’s published Licensing Register confirming this 

Request reference: FOI 10466

Issue date: 26.03.25

Request received: 

A list of all Private Hire and Hackney Carriage vehicles currently licensed with your authority. If possible, I kindly request that you include the following details for each vehicle:

• Make

• Model

• Date of Licence Issue

• Registration Plate Number

• Licence Expiry Date

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the requested information in Excel format, which is available upon request 

Request reference: FOI 10469

Issue date: 25.03.25

Request received: 

How many individuals experiencing rough sleeping and/or homelessness in your local authority are identified as being in the Target Priority Group (or Target Thousand)?

Response provided:

As at 25.03.25, 12 individuals  

Request reference: FOI 10473

Issue date: 25.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested the Council to confirm the limited company/ies liable for the business rates for The Valley Of Rocks Hotel, Lee Road, Lynton, EX35 6HS for the period June 2024 to date

Response provided:

17.07.2020 - 10.06.2024 = Emerald Hotels ILP

11.06.2024 - 30.06.2024 = H & H Hotels Group Ltd

01.07.2024 onwards = Harbour Multiple Services Ltd

Request reference: FOI 10475

Issue date: 26.03.25

Request received: 

1. Please could you tell me if there was a public consultation held regarding the increased charges for Lynton and Lynmouth Car parks? 

2. If so, when was this held? 

3. Where was it advertised? 

4. What was the closing date for the public consultation? 

5. Did Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council Request for the new off-street parking order 2025? 

6. Why are all short stay and long stay charges in North Devon not the same?

7. Why do Lynton and Lynmouth Carparks not have an out of season price? 

Response provided:

1. Yes

2. Public consultation was 29.01.2025 to 19.02.25 (21 statutory days)

3. North Devon Gazette, Car Parks, face to face premises and the Council’s website

4. 19.02.25

5. They do not request it, they are part of the North Devon District Council Off Street Parking Order, when charges are reviewed this includes everyone within the Order already. All town and parish councils are required to take all amendments to full council prior to requesting via North Devon Council

6. It is worked out based more than just the type of car park, including distance from amenities and town centre. Each area (Ilfracombe, Come Martin, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth, Braunton and Barnstaple) is used differently by customers and so this is taken into account as well

7. This has been raised and will be considered when the next annual review takes place

Request reference: FOI 10476

Issue date: 27.03.25

Request received: 

1. Total number of missed bin collections reported each month for the past 12 months, (March 2024 - March 2025, or nearest available), broken down by:

Household waste

Recycling waste

Food waste

Garden waste

Commercial waste

(Where each is possible, if a collection type for a specific waste type isn’t provided, please note this)

2. Reasons recorded for missed collections, if available (e g vehicle breakdowns, staffing issues, blocked access)

3. Whether a return collection was scheduled and completed

4. Response times and actions taken to resolve above issues

Response provided:

1. As follows: 

Household waste = 670

Recycling waste = 1491

Food waste = Included in recycling figures

Garden waste = 504

Commercial waste = Not recorded

2. Not recorded, although many would be due to road closures

3. Return collections not recorded, but usually the following day 

4. Collections usually the following day 

Request reference: FOI 10477

Issue date: 25.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested Council data on Dog Friendly Beaches under the following criteria:

Dogs Allowed All Year

Dogs Allowed between 1st October and 30th April

Geo coordinates of beaches

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does hold this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council provides the following response:

Information on Dog Friendly beaches in and around North Devon is in the public domain on the Council’s website.  There is a link from the Dog Friendly beaches in North Devon webpage to the Council’s Dogs Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) 2024 which includes additional information

Request reference: FOI 10478

Issue date: 31.03.25

Request received: 

Information regarding your local authority’s responsibilities for enforcing farmed animal welfare legislation under the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625, which remains part of UK law

Please provide the following information covering the years 2019 to 2024, broken down by year where possible:

1. The number of farmed animal welfare inspections conducted by your authority

2. The number of cases of non-compliance identified as a result of those inspection

3. The number of enforcement actions taken, including:

Improvement notices

Fixed penalty notices

Prosecutions

4. Whether the council has produced and published an annual enforcement report on farmed animal welfare as required under Article 11 of the Official Controls Regulation. If yes, please provide a copy or a link

5. The number of formal welfare complaints related to farmed animals received by the council, and how many led to inspections

6. The number of staff currently employed or contracted to carry out farmed animal welfare inspections or enforcement

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does not hold any of this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) the Council’s Licensing team confirmed that the applicant will need to direct the request onto Devon County Council for a response as the information falls under Trading Standards

Request reference: FOI 10479

Issue date: 26.03.25

Request received: 

What technology platform does the Council use for its email solution? More specifically, does it use;

• Microsoft
•  Google
• Other

Response provided:

The applicant was advised that the Council’s email solution is Microsoft Outlook

Request reference: FOI 10482

Issue date: 26.03.25

Request received: 

Information regarding the council’s plans to comply with the government’s Simpler Recycling requirements, which mandate the kerbside collection of liquid cartons by April 2026

Specifically the following information:

1. Implementation Timeline

1. Any proposed or confirmed timelines for introducing kerbside collection of liquid cartons

2. Details of any pilot schemes or phased rollouts planned before full implementation

2. Public Communications and Consultation

1. Copies of any public consultation plans, surveys, or resident engagement strategies regarding the move to kerbside collection of liquid cartons

2. Any risk assessments or concerns raised about the transition, including potential challenges

3. Contract details

1. What is the delivery address of the material processing facility used by the authority for dry recycling?

2. Can you provide details of the contract, including parties and duration?

Response provided:

1. Implementation Timeline

1. Nothing scheduled yet

2. Nothing scheduled yet

2. Public Communications and Consultation

1. Nothing scheduled yet

2. Nothing scheduled yet

3. Contract details

1. Brynsworthy Environment Centre, Roundswell, Barnstaple, EX31 3NP

2. Nothing scheduled yet

Request reference: FOI 10485

Issue date: 27.03.25

Request received: 

The applicant requested information regarding facilities management, estate management and/or commercial building maintenance tenders undertaken by the Council

Tender Process

1. Anticipated return to market dates for any relevant tender notices or advertisements and the expected platforms to be used

2. Any minimum requirements (financial, professional, or otherwise) that bidders will have to meet

Contract Award Details

1. The name of the successful contractor(s), along with the total contract value and duration detailing if these are fixed service costs or reactive and project works/combined

2. The contract commencement date, duration and potential extensions, if included

3. A summary of the services included in the contract

4. A record of any significant changes or variations to the scope of works, contract value, or timeframe since contract award

Documentation

1. Copies of the tender return documents for the current service provider that are not exempt from FOI requests

Response provided:

Facilities and Estate Management are undertaken in-house

Information on individual maintenance contracts may be accessed through the Supplying the South West Procurement Portal:  Supplying the South West Portal

In accordance with Section 21(1) of the Act, the Council is not obliged to provide applicants with information that is already in the public domain. However, the Council does have a duty under Section 16(1) to provide advice and assistance in order to help requesters locate the information, which the Council has done so above 

Request reference: FOI 10495

Issue date: 31.03.25

Request received: 

1. Full list of businesses/charities that have become newly liable for business rates on and between the 01/03/2025-31/03/2025, including for each, the full address, property type and the date of liability

Response provided:

The Council’s Revenues team proactively publishes Business Rates data on the Council’s website: Business Rates on a quarterly basis. The next update will be due in April 2025