Disclosure Log - October 2025 | North Devon Council

Request reference: FOI 10788

Issue date: 03.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information in each of the financial years 2024-25, 2023-24 and 2022-23:

1. The total number of sickness days

2. The total number of long-term sickness days

3. The average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee

4. The total cost of sickness days

5. The total cost of long-term sickness days

6. The number of employees on long term sickness at any point

7. A breakdown of sickness days by reason for each year. For example: mental ill-health, musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, etc. If the council categorises reasons differently, please use whichever ones collected

8. A breakdown of sickness days by department for each year, for example: communications, legal, finance, planning, adult social care, etc. If council is organised differently, please use whichever categories used. Please provide the percentage of employees on long term sickness, the average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee and the percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days

Response provided:

			2024-25			2023-24		2022-23
1. Total number of sickness days			4025			3709		3262
2. Total number of long-term sickness days			2081.5			2103.5		1,554
3. Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee			11.59			11.94		13.07
4. Total cost of sickness days			£640,524			£628,304		£515,318
5. Total cost of long-term sickness days			£215,605.30			£381,608.80		£266,881.70
6. Number of employees on long term sickness at any point in the year			7 As at 31.03.25			3 As at 31.03.24		1 as at 31.03.23
7. Reason	Number of sickness days
7. Reason	2024-25	2023-24			2022-23
Abnormal Liver Function	0	57			0
Abscess	5	17			9
Achillies Tendon	0	5			0
Allergic Reaction	5.5	3			3
Allergy	1	0			1
Anaemia	31.5	0			0
Ankle Injury	4	34			1
Anxiety	106	19.5			32
Anxiety and Depression	0	0			3
Anxiety and Stress	5.5	80			0
Appendix Disorder	21	13			5
Arm Injury	0	2			0
Arthritis	83.5	17			12.5
Asthma	4	3			1
Back and Spinal Disorders	229	437.5			206.5
Bacterial Infection	0	0			1
Bereavement	76	117.5			91
Bites & Stings	0	3			0
Blood Disorder	0	2			13.5
Blood Test	0	2			0
Bowel Disorder	6.5	0			0
Broken Toe	0	62			0
Cancer	0	20			147
Chest Infection	76	52			43.5
Chest Pain	65.5	19.5			8.5
Coeliac Disease	3	0			0
Cold Influenza	344	187.5			225
Conjunctivitis	1	2			0
Covid-19	177	166			441.5
Depression	79	45			29
Diabetes	2	3			0
Diverticulitis	0	32.5			0
Dizziness	6	31			2
DVT	2	10			10
Ear Disorder	11.5	7			35.5
Elbow Injury	0	6			6
Eye Disorder	38	27			82
Fatigue	163	3			14.5
Foot Injury	66	88			7
Foot Pain	15	5.5			12
Fractures of Lower Limbs	0	0			79
Fractures of Upper Limbs	0	15			70.5
Gallbladder Disorder	77	0			4
Gastroenteritis	24	2			3
Gout	23	0			0
Gynaecological Disorder	2	1			0
Haemorrhoids	3	0			2
Hand Injury	45	21.5			4
Hand pain	0	1			0
Hay Fever	0	2			0
Head Injury	16	5			6
Headache Migraine	65.5	69			48.5
Heart Problems	132.5	333			32
Heat Stroke	1	0			1
Hernia	0	64			0
Hip Pain	137	0			65
Hospital Tests	3	3			1.5
Hospitalised	45	216			4
Hypertension	0	0			2
IBS	3	10			4
Impetigo	2	0			0
Infection	2	21			0
Inflammation and swelling	2	1			2
Injuries due to Fall	0	3			5.5
Insomnia	3	0			0
Joint Disorder	0	0			9
Joint Disorders	15	0			0
Kidney and bladder disorders	5	3			5.5
Knee Injury	101.5	6			4
Leg Injury	4	6			42.5
Lung Lesion	0	120			0
Medication changes	35.5	0			0
Menstrual Disorders	3	0			6
Mental Health	181	29			127.5
Mouth and Throat Disorders	45	36.5			65
Muscle Pain	81	0			18
Muscular Injury	19	2			0
Neck Injury	3	7			0
Neck Pain	4	0			54
Nerve Sensation Disorder	0	0			13
Post Surgery Bleeding	0	1			0
Pregnancy Condition	2	0			2.5
PTSD	1	0			14
Pulmonary Embolus	23	0			0
Rib Injury	3	0			1
Road Traffic Collision	5	1			72.5
Sciatica	0	0			35.5
Seasonal Affective Disorder	1	0			0
Seizure	0	1			12
Shingles	27.5	0			0
Shoulder Fracture	0	0			32
Shoulder Pain	136	41			43
Sickness	76.5	161.5			136.5
Sickness and Diarrhoea	136	82			40
Sinus Problems	1	16.5			3.5
Skin Infection	0	0			3
Stomach Problems	41	15			0
Stress	333	431.5			466
Stroke	33	0			0
Surgery	330	341			235.5
Swelling	0	0			1
Testicular Disorder	16	0			0
Unclassified Reason	10.5	1			0
Urinary System Problems	47	0			0
Vasectomy	0	0			2
Vertigo	3	12.5			10.5
Virus	89	47.5			30
Department	2024-25
Department	Percentage of employees on long term sickness			Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee			Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days
Customer Focus	7.74			7.39			1.22
Environmental Enhancement	11.33			12.96			2.32
Governance	3.03			4.58			0.00
Organisational Development	0.00			4.17			0.00
Place, Property and Regeneration	4.84			5.56			0.00
Planning, Housing and Health	6.64			5.86			19.58
Programme Management and Performance	0.00			5.88			0.00
Chief Executive and Deputy	0.00			1.50			0.00

Department	2023-24
Department	Percentage of employees on long term sickness	Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee	Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days
Customer Focus	2.60	4.78	1.63
Environmental Enhancement	12.32	13.56	0.99
Governance	9.09	4.70	0.00
Organisational Development	0.00	2.36	0.00
Place, Property and Regeneration	6.90	4.48	0.00
Planning, Housing and Health	6.35	6.30	0.00
Programme Management and Performance	0.00	2.00	0.00
Chief Executive and Deputy	0.00	0.00	0.00

Department	2022-23
Department	Percentage of employees on long term sickness	Average number of sickness days per full time equivalent employee	Percentage of working days lost due to mental health sickness days
Customer Focus	7.69	7.55	0.00
Environmental Enhancement	11.29	11.07	6.09
Governance	12.50	8.36	0.00
Organisational Development	0.00	2.60	0.00
Place, Property and Regeneration	1.82	3.54	0.00
Planning, Housing and Health	4.35	4.60	4.73
Programme Management and Performance	0.00	2.00	0.00
Chief Executive and Deputy	0.00	1.50	0.00

Request reference: FOI 10835

Issue date: 03.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following recorded information relating to the training requirements for licensed taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers within your authority

For the purposes of this request, please include both Hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, where data is available

Please provide, where held, the following information:

1. The total number of licensed taxi and PHV drivers registered with your authority in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive)

a) If possible, please provide a breakdown of driver numbers by licence type (e g Hackney carriage, PHV, dual badge) for each year

2. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to complete safeguarding training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal

a) Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or bot

3. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to c complete disability awareness training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal

a) Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or both

4. The total number of drivers who completed each type of training (safeguarding and/or disability awareness) in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive)

5. The total annual spend by your authority on driver safeguarding and/or disability awareness training (if applicable) in each of the past five financial years. If training is paid for directly by drivers, please confirm this

6. If safeguarding or disability training is required, how frequently must drivers repeat or renew this training (e.g. every three years, one-off only, at each renewal)?

7. Does your authority maintain a central record of completed driver training (safeguarding/disability), or are drivers required to submit their own evidence?

8. Is your authority’s current taxi/PHV driver training policy or guidance publicly available online? If so, please provide a link or URL

9. Does your authority provide any support or alternatives for drivers with low digital literacy, disabilities, or other accessibility needs when completing mandatory training?

Response provided:

1. New applications received for the grant of a licence:

19/20 – 22 drivers hackney carriage/private hire, 3 driver private hire only

20/21 – 19 drivers hackney carriage/private hire, 2 driver private hire only

2122 – 34 drivers hackney carriage/private hire, 3 driver private hire only

22/23 – 36 drivers hackney carriage/private hire, 2 driver private hire only

23/24 – 30 drivers hackney carriage, 2 driver private hire only

Total licensed:

2021 - 271 hackney carriage/private hire, 1 hackney carriage only, 8 private hire only

2022 - 253 hackney carriage/private hire, 0 hackney carriage only, 14 private hire only

2023 – 242 hackney carriage/private hire, 0 hackney carriage only, 12 private hire only

2024 – 240 hackney carriage/private hire, 0 hackney carriage only, 9 private hire only

*Data for 2019/2020 not held. Above data valid at a date in October for each year

2. Yes, and this has been delivered both online and face to face.

3. Yes, this has been undertaken on initial licence application (material shown to drivers as part of introduction/testing day). Additionally, this is part of the Intermediate BTEC Level 2 Certificate in Introduction to the Role of the Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver – this contains a module on disability awareness and providing assistance. This certificate (or equivalent) is required for all drivers.

4. Safeguarding training – New and existing drivers:

19/20 - 0

20/21 - 0

21/22 - 0

22/23 – 297

23/24 – 31

Disability Awareness training – New drivers:

19/20 – 25

20/21 – 21

21/22 – 37

22/23 – 38

23/24 - 32

5. There has been no spend on driver safeguarding training considering the project to train existing drivers was initially funded by way of a Safer Streets project, and more latterly payments are gained from drivers for this training. Spend for disability training (internal part when drivers are shown materials) is unknown as this is resources only and no timesheets are kept for this specific activity

6. Currently one off, but policy to be examined on next review to ascertain whether this will be required to be repeated

7. Drivers submit evidence of their certification which is then held against their driver record

8. Please refer to the following published: Policy

9. There is the ability to satisfy the policy e g the BTEC via the completion of training deemed ‘equivalent’, so each circumstances to be judged on merit

Request reference: FOI 10838

Issue date: 07.10.25

Request received:

For the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 to current date:

1. How many dogs entered your local authority pounds (also known as kennels or shelters)?

2. How many of these dogs (1.) died while being held in pounds?

3. Of the dogs that died while being held in pounds (2.) how many were suspected or assessed to be XL bullies?

4. How many dogs that entered your pounds (1.) were later euthanised?

5. Of the dogs that were euthanised (4.) how many were suspected or assessed to be XL Bullies?

6. Of the dogs that entered your pounds (1.) how many were returned to their owners?

Response provided:

The Council provided its response for the following, 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023 / 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024 / 1 January 2025 – 30 September 2025:

Question 1: 2023 = 14 / 2024 = 15 / 2025 = 8

Question 2: 2023 = 0 / 2024 = 0 / 2025 = 0

Question 3: N/A

Question 4: 2023 = 0 / 2024 =3 / 2025 = 1

Question 5: 2023 = N/A / 2024 = 3 / 2025 = 1

Question 6: 2023 = 12 / 2024 = 5 / 2025 = 3

Request reference: FOI 10841

Issue date: 01.10.25

Request received:

1. For each financial year from 2017/18 to 2024/25, how many non-domestic properties did your organisation bill using the Small Business Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier (i e rateable value under £51,000) that were eligible for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief?

2. For each of those years, what was the total amount of business rates billed to these properties (i e those eligible for RHL relief and subject to the Small Business Multiplier)?

3. For each financial year from 2017/18 to 2024/25, how many non-domestic properties eligible for RHL relief and with a rateable value between £51,000 and £500,000 were billed using the Standard Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier?

4. For each financial year from 2017/18 to 2024/25, what was the total amount of business rates billed to non-domestic properties eligible for RHL relief and with a rateable value between £51,000 and £500,000?

Response provided:

The Council was unable to fully provide the applicant with the information requested, due to the way in which it is recorded within the Revenues system

There is no individual report that can be run by the Revenues team to obtain the requested information. The only information that could be provided is the total number of properties in receipt of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief in the years you have requested, however this will be irrespective of their Rateable Value. The applicant was informed that the Revenues team only holds this information regarding RHL accounts going back to the 2019/20 year:

The number of RHL accounts are as follows:

2017/2018 = Unknown; Revenues do not keep records back this far

2018/2019 = Unknown; Revenues do not keep records back this far

2019/2020 = 1,066 accounts

2020/2021 = 1,335 accounts

2021/2022 = 1,254 accounts

2022/2023 = 1,137 accounts

2023/2024 = 990 accounts

2024/2025 = 949 accounts

To be able to provide the information as set out specifically in the request would require a Revenues Officer to look at each individual account for each of the requested financial years. On average, they estimated that this would take approximately five minutes per account

It was estimated by the Revenues team that it would take approximately 560.93 hours to provide the requested information. This is broken down by year as follows:

2019/20 = 88.84 hours

2020/21 = 111.25 hours

2021/22 = 104.50 hours

2022/23 = 94.75 hours

2023/24 = 82.50 hours

2024/25 = 79.09 hours

Total = 560.93 hours

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 Revenues team and therefore we are unable to process 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 10845

Issue date: 07.10.25

Request received:

The applicant made the following request relating to all tenures of housing, not just social housing (for example, market sale, private rent, either directly or via a housing company)

1) In the 2024/25 financial year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) how many homes formerly sold under the Right to Buy did the council company buy back? (If some/all these homes were bought by a council-owned housing company, please can you let me know and break down how many this applies to)

1) a) Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been relet – e g, how many have been relet at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used (perhaps renovated or demolished as part of a regeneration project?)

2) In the 2024/25 financial year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) in total how many 'second hand' (meaning not a new build) homes did the council buy off the open market?

2) a) Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been relet – e g, how many have been relet at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used (perhaps as part of a regeneration project?)

3) In the 2024/25 financial year (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) how many 'second hand' (meaning not a new build) homes did any companies owned by the council buy off the open market in total?

3) a) Please can you provide a breakdown of how these homes have subsequently been relet – e g, how many have been relet at council/social rent? How many at affordable or London affordable rent? Have any been turned into temporary accommodation? Or otherwise used (perhaps as part of a regeneration project?)

Response provided:

1) None 1.a) Not applicable

2) Three 2.a) All 3 under regeneration for Social Housing

3) None 3.a) Not applicable

Request reference: FOI 10849

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information regarding the council’s bulk fuel purchases:

1. The types of bulk fuel purchased by the council (e g diesel, petrol, heating oil, etc)

2. The frequency and volume of these bulk fuel purchases over the past 12 months

3. The price per litre paid for the most recent purchase of each fuel type

4. The name, job title, and contact details of the procurement lead or officer responsible for bulk fuel purchasing

Response provided:

The applicant was provided with the information in response to 1, 2 and 3 in an Excel spreadsheet (which is available upon request)

4. Paul Burton, Works and Recycling Manager, Environmental Enhancement, 01271 318527

Request reference: EIR 10852

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX33 2LH

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 10855

Issue date: 13.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested copies of the following information relating to the Barnstaple Fair (sometimes called “the Fair”) when it is sited on the Seven Brethren car park, Barnstaple:

1. For each year 2018 to 2025 (or since the council holds records), the total amount charged by North Devon Council (or received by the council) for the hire/occupation of the Seven Brethren car park (or any other council car park) for the event known as Barnstaple Fair (including any set-up / breakdown days). Please supply the gross amount and any breakdown (e g licence fee, loss-of-income calculation, VAT if applicable)

2. Copies of the licence to occupy/site-hire agreements, booking confirmations, or contracts between North Devon Council and the Fair organiser(s) for each of the years above (including any annexes, schedules or service-level notes)

3. Copies of any invoices, receipts, or payment records issued by the council to the Fair organiser(s) for the site hire in those years

4. Copies of the council’s internal guidance, calculations, policy or report that set out how the licence fee/charge for the Fair is calculated (for example the policy that the licence fee is “based against the loss of income from the car parks occupied by the Fair”), and any council committee papers or minutes that record the agreed fee for the Fair in each year

5. Copies of any Event Safety/Operational Plans, Event Management Plans (EMPs), or Site Welfare Plans that the organiser submitted to the council for the Fair in each year, or any conditions the council requires the organiser to meet regarding:

• Provision of toilets and handwashing/drinking water

• Staff/worker welfare (rest facilities, shelters, drinking water, first aid provision)

• Waste collection and disposal arrangements (e.g. names of licensed waste carriers engaged by the organiser, frequency of collection, responsibility for costs)

6. Copies of any licences, permits or approvals issued by North Devon Council for the Fair relating to health and safety, food trading, temporary structures, or waste management

7. Copies of any correspondence, emails or notes between council officers and the Fair organiser (or their agents) specifically about site hire charges, welfare provisions (toilets/welfare/first aid) and waste removal arrangements for the Fair for the years above

Response provided:

The Council provides the following response:

1. Applicant provided with an Excel spreadsheet (available upon request) produced by the Council’s Accountancy team, breaking down the amounts received since 2018 from Barnstaple Town Council (BTC). The licence fee from the Showmen is paid to Barnstaple Town Council as the licensor

2. Applicant provided with copies of the licences held by the Council (1995 and subsequent licences) which are available upon request. Some of the information has been redacted (signatures of authorising officers and witnesses) in accordance with Section 40 of the Act, as this information is personal data. The individuals concerned would have no reasonable expectation for the Council to make their personal information publicly available, particularly as a disclosure under the FOI to the requester is also a disclosure of information to the world at large and so any such disclosure places that information into the public domain for all to see

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

3. Applicant referred to Excel spreadsheet as provided in response to 1 above. Applicant advised to contact BTC for information on the charges it makes to the Showmen as the Council does not hold this information

4. This is set out within the licences but only in relation to the Council’s relationship with Barnstaple Town Council

5. The Council does not hold this information, applicant advised to contact BTC as linked above for this information, as they are the licensor to the event

6. The Council’s Health, Food and Safety team does not issue any licences in relation to the Fair. The mobile food businesses that operate from the fair are each registered as food businesses with Local Authorities at which they normally keep their vehicles. None of them are registered with North Devon Council and do not need to be in this regard

With regards to Health and Safety, the Health and Safety Executive are the relevant Enforcement Authority for the fair

In the past two years the HSE have contacted the team to ask if the Council is able to provide them with the dates of when any large traveling fairs are due to be operating in the Council’s area as this enables them to focus their resources. Where possible and if known to the authority this information has been provided to the HSE

7. The Council does not hold this information, please contact Barnstaple Town Council for this information as they are the licensor to the event. The formula for licence charges has remained the same between North Devon Council and Barnstaple Town Council since 1995

Request reference: FOI 10858

Issue date: 13410.25

Request received:

1. How many reports of blocked highway drains did you receive in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date

2. How many blocked highway drains were reported more than once in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date

3. How many blocked highway drains did you clear in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date

4. How many individual homes flooded due to blocked highway drains in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date or how many individual homes in your area were affected by urban flash flooding in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date

5. How many acres [or square metres] of land was passed for new housing, commercial, industrial developments or car parks in 2023 and in 2024, as well as 2025 year to date

6. How many residential properties were protected by new flood defences (including all flood mitigation measures) in 2023 and 2024, as well as 2025 year to date? Please split between existing properties and new build developments

If possible, please break data down by the smallest areas possible – i e by borough, or street

Response provided:

1, 2, 3 and 4. This information is not held by this authority. Applicant directed to Devon County Council for this information

5. The Council’s Planning system does not support a direct search or automated extraction of data specifically filtered by development type (e g new housing, commercial, industrial, or car parks). Additionally, land size information is not stored in a way that allows for bulk reporting. To provide an accurate figure, each individual planning record would need to be manually reviewed to identify the development type and extract the associated land area. The Planning department estimates that they would require approximately 15 minutes per record. A breakdown of the numbers of planning records held in each of the requested years is provided as follows:

2023 = 873 records

2024 = 705 records

2025 = 668 records

It was estimated by the Planning department that it would take approximately 561 hours to provide the requested information; the procedure of which would cause serious disruption to the day to day working of the Planning department and therefore we are unable to process this part of your 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

In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, the Council has considered where is any other way in which the request could be answered or refined in order to bring it under the 18 hour cost limit, however it has been unable to as the information is not recorded separately or in a way in which it is easily extractable from the Planning department system using a report or search facility. The only way would be via a manual search as explained above which would thus exceed the cost limit of 18 hours to complete

6. The Planning department does not hold this information within its systems. Planning records do not allow for reporting on flood defence measures linked to specific residential properties, nor would they distinguish between existing and new build developments in this context

Request reference: EIR 10859

Issue date: 17.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information for the period January 2022 to present (20/09/2025):

1. A list of all public consultations, resident surveys, or citizens’ panels/assemblies carried out by or on behalf of the council, including the topic and dates

2. The total number of responses or participants for each

3. Copies of any final reports or summaries produced (direct links acceptable also)

4. Details of how the findings were used in council decision-making or strategy

5. The total spend on consultations, surveys, or panels in this period, including payments to external contractors

Response provided:

1, 2 and 4. This information was provided in Word format, which is available upon request

3. This information was provided in pdf format (24 separate documents) which is available upon request, with some personal data redacted through out in accordance with Section 40 of the Act (personal data)

5. Engagement HQ purchased 1 November 2024 3-year contact (Year 1 2024/25 = £14,925)

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Voice - 2021/22 = £1,308.92; 2022/23 = £1,963.38; 2023/24 = £1,963.38

Request reference: EIR 10861

Issue date: 10.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 2FJ

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 10862

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

1. When recruiting CEOs or monitoring officers (including deputies), what legal qualifications (if any) do you require?

2. Do you accept CILEX Fellow status as a legal qualification to be equivalent to solicitors and barristers in their area of specialism, for the purposes of recruitment?

Response provided:

1. The CEO job description does not have a specific professional qualification listed, just that they must have a “degree or professional qualification or equivalent”. The deputy to the CEO at present and as last advertised is also the Council’s section 151 officer and so similarly does not need specific legal qualification. The job description for the Monitoring Officer post at the Council (and likewise for deputies) is for a “recognised legal qualification (solicitor, barrister or legal executive)”

2. As set out above, in terms of posts for lawyers or senior legal staff the Council (which is the only time a legal qualification is referenced) provides for “a recognised legal qualification (solicitor, barrister or legal executive)” so, by implication, it would accept applicants who are CILEX Fellows as equivalent to solicitors and barristers for these roles

Request reference: EIR 10863

Issue date: 10.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 3PP

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 10866

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

1. Does the council pay all employed staff at least the real Living Wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation? If not, please state how many employees are paid below that rate and the lowest hourly rate paid

2. Do you specify in contracts with suppliers and contractors that staff delivering services for the council must be paid at least the Living Wage Foundation’s rate?

Response provided:

1. Yes

2. No

Request reference: FOI 10868

Issue date: 23.10.25

Request received:

For the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 financial years, did the council attend any award ceremonies, either national or local, but not including those hosted by the council? For each award ceremony attended, the applicant requested the following information:
The name of the award ceremony
The date(s) of the award ceremony
How many council officers or councillors attended the ceremony
The cost to the council of attending the ceremony, including travel, accommodation, cost of the ceremony itself, expenses and sponsorship
Information packs from the ceremony - notably including menus
Any photos from the ceremony
For the 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 financial years, did the council host any award ceremonies? For each ceremony hosted, the applicant requested the following information:
The cost the council, after sponsorships, tickets and any other revenue raised is accounted for
The name of the ceremony
The date of the ceremony
Information packs from the ceremony - notably including menus
Any photos from the ceremony

Response provided:

1. Attendance by Council Officers/Councillors at award ceremonies:

2022/23:

a) IRRV Award Ceremony

b) 22.10.2022

c) Two Council Officers

d) £388.52 for accommodation and mileage, no other costs to the Council

e) No information held

f) No photos held

2023/24:

a) The North Devon Manufacturing Awards 2024

b) 12.10.23

c) One Council Officer

d) No costs to the Council

e) No information held

f) No photos held

2024/25:

a) LGC Awards

b) 12.06.24

c) Four Council Officers

d) £1,754.82 for accommodation and travel to the awards, no other costs to the Council

e) No information held

f) No photos held

a) Michelmores Property Awards

b) 27.06.24

c) Four Council Officers

d) £480 for attendance at the event, no other costs to the Council

e) No information held

f) Please refer to the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBpM7Kox8k

https://www.michelmores.com/firm-insight/winners-of-the-2024-michelmores-property-awards-revealed/

Awards Ceremonies hosted by North Devon Council:

2022/23: Nil

2023/24: Nil

2024/25: One

a) £6,200.94. However, the Council used a grant from central government (UK Shared Prosperity Fund E6 Local Arts, Heritage and Culture Activities) to cover the cost

b) Flourishing Culture Awards

c) 28.03.2025

d) No information packs or menus, just welcome drinks and canapés provided

e) Applicant provided with photos taken and the following link providing a short film that sums up the event on this webpage Flourishing Culture Awards

Request reference: FOI 10869

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

A copy of the Council’s current register of licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), providing the data in a structured format such as CSV or Excel, including the following details for each licensed HMO:

- The full address of the licensed HMO property (including postcode)

- The name(s) of the licence holder(s) or owner(s)

- The correspondence address of the licence holder(s), if different from the property address

- The name and contact details of the managing agent, if applicable

- The type of licence (e g mandatory, additional, or selective)

- The date the licence was issued

- The expiry date of the licence

- The maximum number of occupants or households permitted under the licence

- The number of rooms or storeys in the property, if recorded

Response provided:

The applicant was provided with the requested information in Excel format, including the information that is not published through the public HMO register via the Council website, namely:

- Correspondence address where different from the property a address

- Name and contact details of Managing agent, where applicable

- The type of licence (e.g., mandatory, additional, or selective)

- The number of rooms or storeys in the property, if recorded

The applicant was advised that with regards to the type of licence, the Council only issues mandatory licences at the time of the response

The information requested is available upon request under the Housing Act. Section 232 of the Housing Act 2004 requires that housing authorities must establish and maintain a register of all licences granted by them under Part 2 which are in force and which must be supplied to any person that requests to see it (subject to a reasonable fee, if there is one).

Each entry on the register must contain such particulars as may be prescribed. Such prescription has been made by the Licencing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 which sets out, at regulation 11, that the name and address of the licence holder should be included

Section 21(2)(b) of the Act states that information is to be taken to be reasonably accessible to applications if it is for information which the public authority or any other person is obliged by under any enactment to communicate (otherwise than by making the information available for inspection) to members of the public on request, whether free of charge or on payment. Subsequently, the information requested is exempt from the Act as a result of Section 21, but the Council has a duty to provide the information in accordance with its obligations under Section 232 of the Housing Act 2004

The Council considered the Council obligations of compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), as the duty of the authority under the Housing Act 2004 is to provide a copy of the register (which will include the name and address of each licence holder by virtue of that duty) to a requester, such a disclosure of personal data is considered lawful and therefore would not, in this instance, be a breach of the first data protection principle

Request reference: EIR 10871

Issue date: 01.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested information regarding design information concerning the structural improvement works carried out at 7 Thorne Park, specifically the replacement of the original concrete panel walls with masonry cavity walls

Response provided:

Applicant advised that the Council’s Building Control department does not hold any relevant information and was provided with some information held on the relevant planning application matter 34517, with some personal data redacted throughout in accordance with Regulation 13. Applicant also directed to contact the Planning department direct to obtain a copy of the Decision Notice and Approved Plans, as provision for these fall under their charging policy, as published via the Council website

Request reference: FOI 10873

Issue date: 01.10.25

Request received:

1. Are the Fire Dampers, within the properties and sites the Council looks after, currently on contract for the inspection and maintenance?

2. If yes, please confirm the following:

- Due date for contract end

- Actual contract spend

3. What route to market used to obtain these services (a) open tender (b) framework - if yes, which one?

4. Are the fire dampers currently maintained by an external contractor? If yes, please provide which contractor?

5. Finally, please advise names and contact details of any individuals (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract including your Building Safety Manager (b) Health and Safety Compliance Manager (c) Fire Safety Officer

Response provided:

Yes, please refer to the Council’s published Contract Register: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) Maintenance
As published via the link above, March 2028, £500 per year
As published via the link above – Details, Process used
As published via the link above – Awarded Supplier(s)
As published via the link above – Primary Contact

Request reference: FOI 10874

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

1. Does the local authority have any properties listed under Room for Faith Ltd and if so, how many? If it has previously, please provide when this period was

2. If yes, are these properties considered to have exemption under the religious worship exemption of the Local Government Finance Act 1988?

3. Does Rooms for Faith Ltd owe any business rates (have a debit account balance) in the local authority and if so, for how many properties and for how much?

4. Has the local authority ever pursued Room for Faith Ltd in respect of unpaid non-domestic rates and costs?

5. If so, please provide when this was and for how much?

6. If the answer to question three is yes, was the case heard at magistrates court and what was the result of each case?

Response provided:

1. No

2. N/A

3. No

4. N/A

5. N/A

6. N/A

Request reference: FOI 10876

Issue date: 01.10.25

Request received:

1. How many Public Protection Zones have been created by the council/ local authority in each of the last five years

2. How many Public Protection Zones are there in total in the council area/ local authority?

3. How many fixed penalty notices have been issued for breaching the rules across the authority in each of the last five years

4. How many people have been prosecuted by the council/ authority in each of the last five years

Response provided:

1 and 2. This information is published on the Council’s website: Public Spaces Protection Orders

3. Any FPN’s issued will be published in the Council’s annual Environmental Fixed Penalty Notice datasets which cover the requested period

4. Details of prosecutions carried out by the Council are published within its Prosecutions dataset which is updated quarterly and covers the requested period

Request reference: EIR 10877

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following environmental information regarding Hele Bay Garage Ltd, Watermouth Road, Ilfracombe, EX34 9QY):

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? If on site, is the site operating in compliance with its Part B permit?

Response provided:

1, 2. 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

3, 4. None held

5. Applicant provided with a map and spreadsheet (QGIS contaminated land report) which re available upon request and advised that the Environmental Protection team does not hold any other records regarding potentially contaminated land in this area. It was recommend that the applicant 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

6. One noise complaint received 05.07.2018 – “noise from blower dryer cycle of new car wash”

7. The site holds a PVR Part B permit to provide petrol, this permit is currently being complied with

Request reference: FOI 10878

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information from the Council’s Business Rates (Non-Domestic Rates) records in a machine-readable format such as CSV or Excel:

A complete and up-to-date list of all non-domestic properties within your billing authority, providing for each property:

Full property address
Current ratepayer / liable party (company or organisation name only, no personal names of individuals or sole traders)
Account start date/occupation date
Property description (e g warehouse, office, shop)
Rateable value
Details of any reliefs applied (including empty property relief, small business rate relief, charitable relief, etc)

Response provided:

The Council confirmed to the applicant that it routinely publishes the data in csv format on a quarterly basis via its website: Business Rates

In accordance with Section 21 of the Act, the datasets published at the time of the response (02.10.25) were as of 1 July 2025 and 1 April 2025

In accordance with Section 22 of the Act, the October update, at the time of the response (02.10.25) was being prepared for publication later that month. The applicant was informed that once the October update has been published, the April 2025 datasets will be removed from the website

Request reference: FOI 10879

Issue date: 02.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested to know the number of complaints received by the Council’s Park team in relation to customers mistakenly paying for parking during a period of time where there is no charge made over the last three years, broken down by month and covering all of its car parks in its boundary

Response provided:

It was confirmed to the applicant that the Council has received a total of two complaints within the last three-year period, one complaint received in August 2023, and the other complaint received in May 2024

Request reference: FOI 10880

Issue date: 28.10.25

Request received:

Information that is not already publicly available in relation to Planning Application 78046

Response provided:

Applicant provided with some of the information held, with some redacted in accordance with Regulation 13 (personal data) and some correspondence between the Council’s Planning department and Legal team in accordance with Regulation 12 (5) (b) – material covered by Legal Professional Privilege (LLP)

Request reference: FOI 10881

Issue date: 07.10.25

Request received:

A record of all current private hire operators’ licences, including the company operating name and registered phone number for each licence

Response provided:

The applicant was provided with the requested information in Excel format, with some personal data in accordance with Section 40 of the Act

Request reference: FOI 10882

Issue date: 20.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX36 3DQ

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 10883

Issue date: 20.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 4TJ

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 10884

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

Annual figures for each year from 2018 to 2025 showing the number of properties in the district registered as second homes, furnished holiday lets, and those moved from council tax to business rates because they operate as holiday accommodation, including any that pay council tax premiums for being second or long-term empty homes

Confirmation whether the council holds data on short-term holiday lets (such as Airbnb, Booking.com, or Vrbo listings) and, if so, provide the most recent count

Any internal reports or assessments since 2020 on the impact of second homes or short-term lets on local housing availability and affordability

Response provided:

The total number of properties in the district registered as second homes, furnished holiday lets, and those moved from council tax to business rates because they operate as holiday accommodation, including any that pay council tax premiums for being second or long-term empty homes:

1.4.2018 – 1,699

1.4.2019 – 1,657

1.4.2020 – 1,729

1.4.2021 – 1,795

1.4.2022 – 1,779

1.4.2023 – 1,768

1.4.2024 – 2,058

1.4.2025 – 2,153

The Revenues team are unable to provide an individual breakdown of second homes, furnished holiday lets, and those moved from council tax to business rates because they operate as holiday accommodation as either this information is not already recorded this way and so the only way it would be possible to provide would require a Revenues officers to go through and manually check of all the properties listed above in each requested year. The team estimates that they would require a minimum of 5 minutes per account/property

1.4.2018 – 1,699 (141.59 hours)

1.4.2019 – 1,657 (138.09 hours)

1.4.2020 – 1,729 (144.09 hours)

1.4.2021 – 1,795 (149.59 hours)

1.4.2022 – 1,779 (148.25 hours)

1.4.2023 – 1,768 (147.34 hours)

1.4.2024 – 2,058 (171.50 hours)

1.4.2025 – 2,153 (179.42 hours)

It has been estimated by the Revenues team that it would take over 1,219 hours to provide the requested information. The task would cause serious disruption to the day to day working of the Revenues team and therefore the Council confirmed to the applicant that it was 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

The Revenues team does not hold data on short-term holiday lets (such as Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo listings

The Revenues teams does not hold any internal reports of assessments since 2020 on the impact of second homes or short-term lets on local housing availability and affordability, however a wider search beyond the Council’s Revenues team has identified the following:

Devon Housing Commission Report

4.2 of that reports states: The Commission gathered evidence from many sources and visited various parts of the county, including North Devon where they saw housing issues in Ilfracombe, the impacts of second homes and short-term holiday lets and proposed Community Land Trust sites

4.6 states: A further section to note is 2.3 where data from North Devon Council showing some wards with over 20% holiday lets is quoted and that data is set out in full in Annexe One. Annexe Two, focussing on South Hams, shows a direct correlation between the increase in holiday lets and the drop in population in the same areas and describes those areas as being “hollowed out” with a local school closing as a result. That situation is equally relevant to some of the parishes in North Devon

Housing Strategy 2025

Page 6 of that Strategy sets out: DHCR Recommendation DHCR recommends that District Councils and Torbay Council take advantage of the new opportunity to double council tax on second homes and that the extra money for local authorities is ear-marked for addressing housing challenges across Devon (see 2.7 of the main report). Our Response NDC has already gained approval and changed our policy to enable this collection to take place from April 2025. The additional receipts will be ring-fenced to be spent on housing issues. The DHCR also recommended that Devon County Council utilise a significant proportion of receipts from second homes council tax to help meet the county’s housing and infrastructure needs (see 2.8 of the main report)

Page 7 of that Strategy set outs: 1. Prevent Homelessness: The reasons for homelessness include poverty, systemic inequality and discrimination, and incomes that are failing to keep up with rapidly rising rents and the cost of living. All those social issues put immense pressure on people, which can push them into homelessness. External pressures such as demand for holiday accommodation also contribute to the issue of homelessness

Request reference: FOI 10885

Issue date: 27.10.25

Request received:

Please provide this data for three (3) periods of time: Jan 2023-Dec 2023; Jan 2024-Dec 2024; and Jan 2025-June 2025

1. The number of homeless households placed by your council in out-of-borough temporary accommodation during the time period, and of these the number of households with children - broken down by borough/district placed in

2. The number of households that your council received Section 208 notices from other councils during that time period, and of these the number of households with children - broken down by borough/district received from

	Jan 2025 - June 2025	Jan 2025 - June 2025	Jan 2024 - Dec 2024	Jan 2024 - Dec 2024	Jan 2023 - Dec 2023	Jan 2023 - Dec 2023
Households placed out of borough	Total households	Households with children (under 18)	Total households	Households with children (under 18)	Total households	Households with children (under 18)
Total new out of borough placements made during time period	4	1	1	0	6	2
Total out of borough placements in Exeter	1	0	0	0	0	0
Total out of borough placements in Mid Devon	3	0	0	0	2	1

	Jan 2025 - June 2025	Jan 2025 - June 2025	Jan 2024 - Dec 2024	Jan 2024 - Dec 2024	Jan 2023 - Dec 2023	Jan 2023 - Dec 2023
Section 208 notices received	Total households	Households with children (under 18)	Total households	Households with children (under 18)	Total households	Households with children (under 18)
Total Section 208 notices received during time period	21	3	39	3	30	2
Section 208 notices received from Torridge	20	3	36	2	29	2
Section 208 notices received from Mid Devon	1	0	1	0	1	0
Section 208 notices received from Exeter	0	0	1	1	0	0
Section 208 notices received from Teignbridge	0	0	1	0	0	0

Response provided:

Request reference: FOI 10886

Issue date: 28.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information regarding the council’s regulation of dog-breeding establishments under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 or the equivalent legislation in Wales (the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021)

The applicant requested the figures for each of the past three calendar years (2022, 2023 and 2024). If records are held by financial year rather than calendar year, the applicant requested the data for 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 instead

If any part of this request would exceed the Section 12 cost limit (£450 for local authorities, calculated at £25 per hour), please process as much of it as possible within that limit, and advise which parts could be refined to remain compliant

Please provide the following:

(1) Number of dog-breeding licences currently issued by your authority

(2) Number of new licence applications received and number refused each year

(3) Total income received from dog-breeding licence fees each year

(4) Total expenditure on administering and enforcing these licences each year (including officer time, inspections and related costs)

(5) Number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) officers responsible for animal-licensing inspection and enforcement in each year

(6) Number of inspections carried out at licensed breeding premises each year

(7) Number of inspections carried out at unlicensed or suspected breeding premises each year

(8) Number of dog-breeding licences revoked, suspended, or not renewed each year

(9) If held, the number of formal investigations or enforcement actions relating to breaches of dog-breeding licence conditions or unlicensed breeding, broken down (where recorded) by:

a. Investigations initiated

b. Formal warnings/improvement notices issued

c. Fixed-penalty notices issued

d. Cautions administered

e. Prosecutions commenced

f. Prosecutions resulting in conviction

(10) Does the council maintain a public register of licensed dog breeders?

10a. If yes, please provide the URL or explain how the public may access it

10b. If no, please confirm whether an internal register exists

Please provide the data in spreadsheet format (Excel or CSV), where possible. Where exact figures are not held, please provide your best available estimate or state “information not held.” If data are stored across systems, you may provide annual totals rather than extract individual records

Response provided:

The applicant was provided with an Excel spreadsheet providing the requested information apart from the information requested under Q4 and Q10.

Q4, the Licensing team confirmed that they do not hold this information as it is not recorded in a way that the team can easily calculate, however the team confirms that the cost of administering and enforcing the licences far exceeds the income received

10. Yes, applicant directed to the Council’s published register for animal welfare licences

Request reference: FOI 10887

Issue date: 14.10.25

Request received:

1. Does your Council's policy on paternity leave provide in excess of the statutory provision of 2 weeks leave? (yes/no)

2. Does your Council's policy on paternity leave exceed the Statutory Paternity Pay amounts for some/all of the paternity leave (yes/no)

3. If you have answered yes to any of the above, detail how your Council's policy differs from the statutory provision in either:

a) Pay (e g your Council may offer a higher rate of payment for some/all of the paternity leave subject to certain conditions)

b) Duration of paid paternity leave provided

4. Please provide your authority's paternity leave policy

Response provided:

No
No
N/A
Part of the Council’s Family Friendly policy, April 2024

7. Paternity Leave and Pay

7.1 Do I qualify for ordinary paternity leave?

Yes if you:

are either the father, the husband or partner of the mother (or adopter), the child’s adopter, or the intended parent (if you are having a baby through a surrogacy arrangement)
have worked for the Council continuously for 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the estimated week of childbirth, known as the ‘qualifying week’ (this is different if you are adopting)
are employed by the Council up to the date the child is born (or placed with the adopter)
are taking time off to look after the child
are responsible for the child’s upbringing
give the Council the correct notice

Only one person in a couple can take paternity leave. The other parent can take maternity and/or shared parental leave (as appropriate)

7.2 How do I give the Council the correct notice?

You must tell the Council at least 15 weeks before the estimated week of childbirth:

the baby’s due date
when you want your leave to start - you can change this with 28 days’ notice or as soon as is reasonably practicable
how much leave you want

Please use form SC3 to tell us. If you are adopting please use form SC4

7.3 Taking paternity leave

You can take your two-week statutory paternity leave entitlement as either a single two-week block or two separate one-week blocks. You can take paternity leave at any time in the 52 weeks after birth (or the first day of the Expected Week of Childbirth if the child is born early)

In the case of a UK adoption, the leave can be taken within the 52 weeks after the date the child is placed with the adopter. In the case of an adoption from oversees, the leave can be taken within the 52 weeks from the date the child arrived in Great Britain

7.4 Do I qualify for ordinary paternity pay?

Yes if you meet the criteria in 7.1 above and earn at least ‘the lower earnings limit’ in the eight week ‘relevant period’. Please contact Payroll for more information

7.5 How much will I be paid?

The Council pays the first week of any period of ordinary paternity leave at full pay, but the second week at the *relevant statutory rate only

Request reference: FOI 10889

Issue date: 09.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information regarding the car rental company, Zipcar, company registration number 04525217:

1. The number of vehicle violations cases involving a Zipcar in the authority for each year since 2020

2. The number of vehicle violation cases where the company directly paid the authority for the violation for each year since 2020

3. The amount of money Zipcar paid to the authority for these violations for each year since 2020

Response provided:

1. None in each year since 2020

2. N/A

3. N/A

Request reference: FOI 10890

Issue date: 09.10.25

Request received:

With regard to the address: Romansleigh Park, South Molton, EX36 4NB:

1. Please confirm the name of the individual or legal entity liable to pay non-domestic rates in respect of the Site for the period 24/08/2023 to 17/02/2024

2. If more than one individual/entity was liable to pay non-domestic rates in respect of this Site during the above period, please can you confirm:

2.1. The name of each individual/entity;

2.2. The period in respect of which that individual/entity was liable for the payment of non-domestic rates

Response provided:

The Council’s Revenues team confirmed that they have the following property which they consider is the assessment to which the applicant refers:

The Retreat at Romansleigh Park (Caravan Park and premises)

For the period 24.08.23 – 15.02.24 = Romansleigh Developments Limited (in Liquidation) were liable

For the period 16.02.24 onwards Romansleigh OPCO Limited are liable

Request reference: EIR 10891

Issue date: 23.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX31 4GB

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 10892

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

1 a) What are the Council’s financial expenditure outturns (revenue, not capital) for the years 2023/24 and 2024/25 for its recycling and waste service? What revenue budget for its recycling and waste service has the Council set for 2025/26?

1 b) What value (£) of packaging EPR payment is the Council due to receive from Pack UK in 2025/26? To which of the Council’s services is this funding allocated?

2. Please indicate if the Council already collects the complete range of these ‘dry-recyclable’ items from households; or the intended quarter period by which the Council will have collections for the complete range in place:

Glass bottles and jars used for packaging

Steel and aluminium tin cans, aerosols, foils, food trays, jar and bottle lids, aluminium tubes, bottles and jars

Plastics PET, PP LDPE and HDPE bottles, pots, tubs, trays and tubes

Plastic polyolefin film packaging and plastic bags (which contain a minimum of 90% by weight mono-polyethylene, mono-polypropylene, or both)

All paper and card except the following:

fibre-based composite where the non-paper fibre content is more than 15% by weight
fibre-based composite which has layers of plastic on both sides (double-sided lamination)
fibre-based composite cups
paper and card to which glitter has been adhered
paper and card to which foil has ben adhered, where the non-paper fibre content is more than 15% by weight
greaseproof, siliconized or waxed paper
stickers
padded polyethylene lined envelopes
paperback and hardback books
wallpaper

3. Indicate what authority-approved recycling targets/ambitions the Council has in place for, firstly, all recycling (dry-recycling and organics) and, secondly, for dry-recycling (i e the collective target for the range of packaging and other recyclable materials the Council collects and/or disposes of) for the years 2025/26, 2030/21 and 2035/36. Or if there are no authority-approved targets for the specific years, indicate what recycling performance targets or ambitions the Council has in place, if any

Response provided:

1 a) 2023/24 (outturn) = £4,925,849

2024/25 (outturn) = £5,329,943

2025/26 (budget) = £5,452,070

1 b) Value of pEDR payment 2025/26 = £1,178,000, allocated to recycling and residual waste

2. North Devon Council intends to put in place collections from households for the complete range of specified items as above by quarter three, 2026/27

3. As follows:

Target year	Overall recycling target (dry-recycling and organics)	Dry-recycling target
2025/26	55%	N/A
2030/31	60%	N/A
2035/36	65%	N/A

Request reference: FOI 10894

Issue date: 13.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the number of EOTs that have been granted to the Planning team this year to date

Response provided:

Between 1 January 2025 and 13 October 2025, there have been 393 decisions where an extension of time agreement was made

Request reference: EIR 10895

Issue date: 28.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX32 7DW

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 10897

Issue date: 13.10.25

Request received:

If there is no VRU/ VRP in the Council’s borough, the Council does not need to answer each of these questions

How much government funding the Violence Reduction Unit / Partnership in the Council’s borough has received in each year since it was established?

How much of the above funding in each year has been spent on salaries? Please provide a figure

Please provide a breakdown of the salaries of all executive staff the Violence Reduction Unit/ Partnership, as well as the figures for each year since it was established

In each of those years, how much money has been given to external organisations and charities working with knife crime in London?

Please provide the list of organisations and charities to which money has been given along with figures for each year since the VRU was established

Has your borough requested a Pre-emptive Critical Incident Fund? If so, was it received and how much was it for? Please break down how it was spent

Response provided:

The Council confirmed that it does not have a Violence Reduction Unit/Partnership; however it is aware that there is a multi-agency Serious Violence Prevention Programme, co-ordinated by the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner and Devon County Council. Applicant provided with a link to Devon County Council’s website for information on its Serious Violence Strategy

Request reference: FOI 10898

Issue date: 14.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested, in CSV or spreadsheet format, details of all currently licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles registered with North Devon Council. Specifically, the following information for each vehicle:

• Vehicle registration number

• Make and model

• Licence issue date

• Licence expiry date

Response provided:

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

Request reference: FOI 10899

Issue date: 30.10.25

Request received:

A register or list of all commercial properties currently vacant, including:

Property address (or partial address if full disclosure is restricted)

Property type (e g retail, industrial, office, mixed-use)

Duration of vacancy

Ownership type (private, council-owned)

Any applicable business rates relief/exemptions due to vacancy

2. Summary data:

Total number of vacant commercial properties

Breakdown by vacancy duration (e g 6–12 months, 12–24 months, 24+ months)

Any trends over the past three years

Response provided:

Applicant directed to the Council’s published Business Rates datasets, via the Council website, in particular ‘Dataset All empty NDR Properties 01.10.25 which provides most of the information sought, apart from the duration of vacancy or the ownership type (the ownership type is information not recorded by the Revenues team)

Applicant provided with a spreadsheet (which is available upon request) which can be cross referenced with the published dataset which provided the following:

- The total number of vacant commercial properties as at 01.10.25 (260)

- The Vacancy start date and duration of Vacancy of the 260 vacant properties identified within the published dataset, broken down

It was further confirmed to the applicant that the Revenues team does not hold recorded trends over the last three years

Request reference: EIR 10901

Issue date: 28.10.25

Request received:

CON29 information relating to a property at EX34 7BZ

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 10903

Issue date: 16.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested to know how many dwellings in Lynton and Lynmouth pay the 100% Council Tax '2nd Homes Premium'?

Response provided:

As at 6 October 2025, the Council had 117 dwellings in Lynton and Lynmouth paying the 100% Council Tax second homes premium

Request reference: FOI 10904

Issue date: 24.10.25

Request received:

The local authority’s complete and most-recently updated list of all business (non-residential) property rates data, including the following fields:

- Billing Authority Property Reference Code (linking the property to the public VOA database reference)

- Firm's Trading Name (i e property occupant or ratepayer)

- Full Property Address (Number, Street, Postal Code, Town)

- Occupation/Vacancy status

- Date of Occupation/Vacancy

- Reliefs and/or exemption categories (classifications) granted or applied

- Date that reliefs and/or exemption categories granted or applied

- Value of reliefs and/or exemption categories granted or applied (in Pounds)

- Actual annual rates charged (in Pounds)

If unable to provide an absolute “Occupation / Vacancy” status, please provide the balance of the information requested

A list of definitions for the codes for the Exemptions and / or Reliefs you use

Response provided:

Applicant provided with the requested information, where held within three separate spreadsheets and a Word document in response, with some personal data redacted in accordance with Section 40(2) of the Act, which are available upon request

Request reference: FOI 10905

Issue date: 17.10.25

Request received:

1. How much the council has spent since 1 January 2020 on removing Union Jack/British flags from public property (for example lampposts, street furniture, or other council-owned items)

2. Which companies, contractors, or agencies carried out this work, and when

3. A breakdown of costs where available – for example, hourly or per-shift rates, block bookings, or other associated charges

4. If the work was done by council employees, please provide an estimate of staff time spent and the equivalent cost

Response provided:

1. From 01.01.20 to date, North Devon Council has not removed any union jack/British flags from its buildings and land, therefore no money has been spent by the authority on this. However, the applicant was advised to contact Devon County Council separately with regards to lampposts and other types of street/highways furniture within North Devon as this will fall under their remit

2. N/A

3. N/A

4. N/A

Request reference: FOI 10909

Issue date: 20.10.25

Request received:

The following information for the financial years 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24:

1. The number of applications made under section 21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in which your local authority has been involved (as applicant, respondent, or other party)

2. The total legal costs incurred by the authority in relation to those s21A applications (including in-house and external representation)

3. If available, a breakdown of those costs by year and/or by internal vs external legal spend

If the request would exceed the appropriate cost limit, please supply what you can within the limit, prioritising items (1) and (2)

Please provide the data in Excel or CSV format

Response provided:

Applicant advised that the Council does not hold this information and was advised to redirect their request to Devon County Council

Request reference: FOI 10910

Issue date: 30.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the provison of any records, correspondence or funding documentation held relating to North Devon Homes (NDH) and any publicly funded energy efficiency, retrofit or property improvement works undertaken at or around the Slade Valley Road, Ilfracombe (EX348LF) since 2017

In particular, the applicant requested the following information regarding:

1. Any funding applications or awards made to NDH (directly or via partner organisations such as local councils) under schemes including but not limited to: the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), Local Authority Delivery (LAD), Energy Company Obligation (ECO) or other retrofit/energy-efficiency programmes

2. Details of the scope of works covered by the funding (for example: insulation removal/replacement, cavity wall/damp remediation, heating/ventilation upgrades, building-fabric works)

3. Any project monitoring, compliance or audit reports that relate to those works (including any PAS 2035 or TrustMark documentation if relevant)

4. Details of contractors, managing agents or delivery partners engaged by NDH or partners under those funding streams

5. Any departmental or partner correspondence (internal or external) referencing Slade Valley Estate, NDH’s performance/compliance under these programmes, or any review of the works delivered under the funding

The applicant requested that if the Council does not hold this information, to advise which authority or delivery body does, in accordance with section 16 of the FOI Act (Duty to Aid)

Response provided:

1. The Council does not hold any of this information. Applicant directed to Ofgem with regards to the following grant schemes ECO and SHDF that they administer direct, as they are responsible for responding to information requests under the EIR

Other government funding schemes where North Devon Council has been involved include:

Local Authority Delivery Phase 1 and 2 = the Council was unable to locate the details of completed properties to ascertain if any related to Slade Valley Road, Ilfracombe. The data was held by EON as the managing agent for this project and are responsible for responding to requests under the EIR

Sustainable Warmth (Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1) = no properties at Slade Valley Road, Ilfracombe were assisted under this scheme

Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 = no properties at Slade Valley Road, Ilfracombe were assisted under this scheme

Warm Homes: Local Grant = scheme not yet commenced for North Devon area (Summer 2026)

ECO Flex – no application have been received for properties at Slade Valley, Road, Ilfracombe under this scheme

2, 3, 4 and 5. The Council does not hold any of this information

Applicant advised to contact North Devon Homes Ltd direct, as well as Ofgem and EON as linked above, as they will be responsible for responding to their own information requests in accordance with the FOIA/EIR, where appropriate>

Request reference: FOI 10912

Issue date: 21.10.25

Request received:

1. The number of demolition permits issued by the council for each of the past five calendar years, September 2021 and September 2025, proving the following for each permit:

Address or location of the property

Date the permit was issued

Reason for demolition (if recorded)

Whether the building was classified as derelict, vacant, or structurally unsound before demolition

Response provided:

In accordance with Section 21(1) of the Act (advice and assistance), the applicant was directed to the Council’s Planning Tracker where the information can be searched for (where held) using the advanced search facility: https://planning.northdevon.gov.uk/Search/Advanced covering the requested period for the following application types:

Demolition of Listed Building and Demolition Prior Notification

Applicant referred to the Documents tab on each application for the published information and advised that the date the permit was issued will likely be the Decision Date as set out on the Application Details tab (within the table of Important Dates)

Request reference: FOI 10913

Issue date: 22.10.25

Request received:

The applicant made the following request regarding the uptake of the ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation, Phase 4) scheme within the council area. Specifically, the following information for the most recent full financial year (and, if available, for previous years since the start of ECO4 in 2022):

ECO4 Grants Uptake

The total number of households within your local authority that have received upgrades under the ECO4 scheme

The breakdown of these households by property type (e g detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat) and tenure (owner-occupied, private rented, social housing)

The total amount of ECO4 funding distributed within your local authority area

Types of Energy Efficiency Measures Installed

A list and count of the types of measures installed (e g insulation, boiler replacement, heat pumps, solar panels, etc)

Potential or Estimated Annual Energy Savings

Any available data or estimates on average or total annual energy bill savings per household or for the local authority area, resulting from ECO4-funded improvements

Application and Eligibility Data

The number of ECO4 applications received, approved, and rejected within your local authority area

If available, reasons for common application rejections

Response provided:

The Council’s Private Sector Housing team confirmed that it does not hold the information requested as they do not process ECO4 grants direct. Instead, the applicant was advised to direct their request onto Ofgem for response

Request reference: FOI 10917

Issue date: 29.10.25

Request received:

1. How many buildings currently owned or maintained by the council have publicly visible external clocks?

2. For each such building:

- The building name and address

- Whether the clock(s) is currently functioning

- Whether there is an allocated maintenance budget for the clock(s)

- If not functioning, when the clock was last operational (if known)

3. Any recent (past 5 years) correspondence, reports, or assessments regarding the maintenance, repair, or removal of public clocks on council-owned or maintained buildings

Response provided:

1. One

2. Barnstaple Bus Station, Barnstaple

Functioning

General property maintenance fund

N/A

3. The only information that the Council holds is as follows:

£5,123 excluding VAT was spent in 2024/25 to fix the clock at Barnstaple Bus Station

In 2021/22, a clock was removed from Ilfracombe Harbour as part of a kiosk demolition project

Request reference: FOI 10918

Issue date: 28.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested from March 2025 to present:

How many landlords have been issued a bill with the second home council tax premium for a void period on their rental property?

How many landlords have challenged a bill with the second home council tax premium for a void period on their rental property?

Response provided:

It was confirmed to the applicant that the Council’s Revenues team are not required to record where a ratepayer is also a landlord. They indicated that whilst there may be some instances where a ratepayer has volunteered this information and has confirmed they are a landlord, the only way in which this information could be identified would require a Revenues Officer to go through all second home Council Tax accounts to see if/where this information is held and then collate accordingly. As of 6 October 2025, there are 1,990 properties/accounts that would need to be individually checked to see if there is any record of the ratepayer being a landlord

It was estimated by the Revenues team that they would require approximately 5 minutes per property/account, which in total would take over 165 hours to complete and provide the requested information where held. This task would cause serious disruption to the day to day working of the Revenues team and therefore the Council confirmed that it is unable to process 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

In accordance with Section 16, the Council is required to provide advice and assistance in order to help applicant’s refine/narrow requests that exceed the 18 hour cost limit as far as reasonably and practicably possible; however in this instance the Council was unable to identify any other way in which the information could be obtained from it, other than the manual search of each applicable Council Tax account for the 1,990 second homes currently held. If upon the consideration of this response the applicant is able to reconsider and wishes to submit a new FOI for the Council to consider and respond to, the Council confirmed that it will endeavour to assist them with this as far as practicably possible, in accordance with Section 16 of the Act

Request reference: FOI 10925

Issue date: 29.10.25

Request received:

The applicant requested the following information relating to the use of hotels for temporary accommodation:

1. Hotel Usage

Does the Council currently use any hotels (either directly or through third-party providers) for temporary accommodation purposes, such as housing homeless households or individuals?

If yes, please list the hotel names and postcodes currently in use

2. Rates and Payments

What are the typical rates paid per room or per night (or per room per month) for such accommodation?

Please provide the average rate range or rate bands applicable for the past 12 months

3. Opportunities to Offer Hotels

Can external hotel operators or accommodation providers offer rooms to the Council at lower or more competitive rates for temporary accommodation use?

4. Procurement/Contact Information:

If yes, please provide the name, email address, and contact number of the appropriate officer or department to whom such offers or proposals should be directed (e g Housing, Temporary Accommodation, or Procurement)

Response provided:

1. Wildwood Guesthouse, Ilfracombe, EX34 8EG

Darnley, Ilfracombe, EX34 8DR

Travelodge, Barnstaple, EX31 3RZ

2. £42 - £100 per single room

3. Yes

4. Sarah Bentley Service Manager Housing and Refugee Resettlement, 01271 388870

Request reference: FOI 10926

Issue date: 30.10.25

Request received:

1. If your Council has a Conservation and Design team of any description, that is consulted on planning applications involving constraints such as listed buildings and conservation areas, and what this team is called

2. If ‘yes’, what training or qualifications, if any, are prerequisites for an officer working in this team

3. If it is disclosable, if I could please have an email address for this team, as I would like to send a short survey related to my dissertation some time next summer for any officers who might be interested in completing it

Response provided:

1. The Council does not have a Conservation and Design team. Instead, it has a Conservation Officer who is consulted on applications for Listed Building Consent and any planning applications affecting listed buildings or their settings, and Conservation Areas or their settings, plus pre application enquiries relating to these subject areas

2. The Council has not recruited in this field for several years; however it can confirm that it would look for the following:

MSc in Cultural Resource Management or similar degree/equivalent qualification

Full Membership of the IHBC or similar organisation

Considerable experience in the field

3. The applicant was provided with the Conservation Officer’s email address