Environment - Freedom of Information Requests

Disclosure Log - Environment

2024

October

Reference: 3569809

Subject:

I am requesting the following information related to the Biodiversity Duty:

A record of your first considerations of what action to take for biodiversity, which was due to be completed by 1 January 2024
Any policies and objectives for biodiversity which were agreed as soon as possible after this
How many hectares of priority habitat you have identified for restoration or creation in the next five years

Response date: 11 October 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3569809.

September

Reference: 3550942

Subject:

I would like information about your council’s planning in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information is most likely to be held by a planning officer or similar.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following question:

Has the council approved any new or expanded airport runways, terminals, measures to increase passenger numbers or other planning proposals that expand airport capacity in its area since the 1 January 2020 until 15 August 2024? Please list which ones were accepted.

Response date: 17 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3550942.

Reference: 3551095

Subject:

I would like information about your council’s climate awareness training in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information may be held by the HR department or other departments that organise staff training.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

Have all senior management received climate awareness training, including Carbon Literacy or equivalent, before 15th August 2024? Please state the type of training.

We are seeking information for senior managers who have had climate awareness training that has taken place since 1st January 2015 and up until 15th August 2024. We define senior management as including all Chief Executives, deputy Chief Executives and Directors or Heads of Departments, or equivalents, depending on what each council calls them.

Have all current councillors in the cabinet or committee chairs received climate awareness training, including Carbon Literacy or equivalent, since being elected from May 2023 or before? Please state the type of training.

We don’t expect councillors who were elected in May 2024, or since, to have already been trained. We are only seeking information for cabinet or committee chairs who have taken climate awareness training that has taken place since 1st January 2015 and up until 15th August 2024.

This could be training certified by the Carbon Literacy Project or another organisation, university or in-house. We want to know the number of people who have attended the training. We don’t need to know the number of staff that have received a certificate of completion or attendance.

Response date: 13 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3551095.

Reference: 3550951

Subject:

I am requesting information about employee representative bodies’ ability to inform and influence the development and delivery of the council’s Climate Action Plan.

By employee representative bodies we include the council’s recognised trade unions as well as other forms of non-union employee representation (ex. staff associations and employee forums).

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

Does the council have any policies, procedures or agreements in place that enable employee representative bodies to influence the development and delivery of the council’s Climate Action Plan? If so, please share details of these policies, procedures or agreements.
Have employee representative bodies contributed to any recent consultations related to the delivery of the council’s Climate Action Plan?

If so, could you please share any relevant document, dated from 1 January 2023, including:

Meeting minutes;
Reports;
Invitations to events;
Other relevant documents

Response date: 13 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3550951.

Reference: 3550950

Subject:

I would like information about your council’s lobbying work in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following question:

Has the council written to or met with UK national or devolved governments to ask or lobby for climate action since 1st January 2023?

Please provide some evidence of the most recent letter or meeting such as a copy of the letter or email sent, or the date, topic of meeting and position of the person that the meeting was held with.

This includes either asking for more powers and funding for local authorities to take climate action, or asking for the government to take further action themselves. This includes working with other local authorities to send joint letters or meetings to lobby UK or devolved governments, and includes both general climate action and calls for action on specific issues such as transport where climate change is mentioned as a motivating factor for taking action. This includes if a cabinet member or other councillor has written to or met with the UK or devolved governments on behalf of the council.

Response date: 13 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3550950.

Reference: 3550941

Subject:

Please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

Does the council have a 100% renewable green electricity tariff for all of the electricity that the council is directly responsible for, and is this tariff with Green Energy UK plc, Good Energy Limited or Ecotricity?

This includes all electricity that the council is directly responsible for, in council offices and any other buildings leased and managed by the council where the council pays the electricity tariff. This does not include homes owned or managed by the council. If unsure, please state your provider and tariff.

Does the council generate and use energy from waste? And if so, what percentage of the council’s total electricity use is powered by this/these energy from waste electricity sources?
Does the council buy directly from a local renewable electricity source or have its own renewable electricity sources? And if so, what percentage of the council's total electricity use is powered by this/these renewable electricity sources?

This includes council owned renewable electricity sources that are located outside of the council area, such as solar farms located further south to maximise energy generation.

Response date: 13 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3550941.

Reference: 3550939

Subject:

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

1a. How many staff does the Council directly employ (excluding contractors or subcontractors, and excluding teachers), that work directly for the Council as opposed to a school, leisure centres or other venture?

1b. How many directly employed staff spend 3 or more days per week (0.6 Full Time Equivalent (FTE)) on implementing the Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects? Please provide a list of all the roles. Please exclude waste management staff unless they are specifically working 3 or more days per week on implementing the Climate Action Plan or other climate change projects.

If you have answered yes to have a biodiversity planning officer and/or a retrofit staff member below, both these staff members can be included in this question even if they are contracted. This is likely to include all staff in your climate/sustainability team, such as Climate Change Officers or similar. This may include full time staff who spend 60% of their time on climate change projects and 40% of their time on other work.

You might include other staff in other departments, such as a procurement officer if they are spending 3 or more days per week (0.6 FTE) on writing and implementing a sustainable procurement policy or a planner that is working primarily on low carbon policies for new buildings.

Does the council have one or more staff members who work on home energy efficiency retrofitting, such as retrofit officers or project managers across the council area, for 3 or more days per week (0.6+ FTE)? This can include both directly employed and contracted staff, provided they work 3 or more days per week (0.6 FTE). The work of this officer may include working on any retrofit projects, including council buildings, council homes or private rented or owned households.

Please list any roles that work in this area, including the full time equivalent (FTE) if they work part time.

Please include staff members that are shared with other councils, such as between county and district councils, and note if they are shared across other areas.

How many planning ecologists or equivalent working for 3 or more days per week (0.6+ FTE) does the council employ to scrutinise planning reports and/or applications for improvements to biodiversity and/or Biodiversity Net Gain? This can include both directly employed and contracted staff, provided they work 3 or more days per week (0.6 FTE).

Planning ecologists are ecologists that scrutinise planning applications on biodiversity measures. They often sit within the planning department but they can sit within other departments in the council. If the planning ecologist does sit outside the planning department it must be made clear that the planning ecologist spends 3 days or more per week (0.6 FTE) scrutinising planning applications.

Please include staff members that are shared with other councils, such as between county and district councils, and note if they are shared across other areas.

Response date: 13 September 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3550939.

August

Reference: 3542952

Subject:

Are you bringing forward your own habitat bank for the purposes of offering offsite biodiversity units?
If so, at what stage of development is it?
Have you decided methodology for pricing units yet?
If the answer to Q3 is yes, what is it and is it expected to cover the long-term cost of habitat delivery?
Please supply a full, redacted or template version of any s106 agreement for such an LPA habitat bank, if it is exists.
Please supply copies of all completed section 106 agreements for other habitat banks in your LPA area.
What is the total value of biodiversity offsetting contributions paid to the authority over the previous two years?
Of the total value given in Q7, how much has been deployed into habitat creation, enhancement and management and how much remains unspent?

Response date: 06 August 2024

Response: Response to this request - 3542952.

February

Reference: 2596615

Subject:

Has your Authority (you may want to insert the name if the council here instead of the words “your Authority”) declared a ‘climate emergency’?
Is your Authority (or name of council) aiming for Net Zero? If so, by when?
Is there a Climate Change strategy in place?
Do you have a designated Climate Change Officer or team who is responsible for these and related matters?
Please provide the name and contact details for the responsible officer.

Response date: 23 February 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2596615.

Reference: 2581023

Subject:

Which officer at the council is responsible for biodiversity net gain and should be contacted about landowner and developer s106 agreements securing BNG?

Does the council have a template for an offsite biodiversity gain site section 106 agreement and if so could a link to this be provided?

Response date: 21 February 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2581023.

January

Reference: 2569337

Subject:

How much has the council spent on developing a net zero strategy?
What steps is the council taking to reduce carbon emissions to reach net zero?

Response date: 30 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2569337.

Reference: 2564678

Subject:

Please provide a list of approved and not approved wind, solar and battery projects indicating megawatt size for each.

Response date: 24 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2564678.

Reference: 2561998

Subject:

Has your council declared a climate emergency?

Please provide a breakdown of how many projects in the following categories your council has objected to, rejected and approved over the last three years; battery storage, wind and solar.

What is the average time taken to make a decision on each of the following types of projects; battery storage, solar and wind.

Response date: 24 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2561998.

Reference: 2561736

Subject:

Do you have a full-time officer solely dedicated to managing your declared climate and/or nature emergency? Yes/No
Does your policy/strategy specify that some or all planning applications that could affect trees must include a tree canopy cover assessment as supporting information? Yes/No
Do you have a professional tree officer dedicated to advise on planning applications that could affect existing trees? Yes/No
Do you have standard planning conditions that specifically require that the supply, planting, and maintenance of new trees must be complaint with BS 8545 (2014) Trees: from nursery to independence in the landscape – Recommendations? Yes/No

Response date: 3 January 2024

Response: Response to this request - 2561736.

2023

December

Reference: 2551473

Subject:

Have you received communication from Natural England, or consultants on behalf of Natural England, concerning recreational impacts in Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) as a result of new housing development?
Has Natural England designated any part of this local authority a Zone of Influence (ZOI)?
If yes, how much land (km) is currently designated a ZOI?
Have you been advised to implement an exclusion zone due to the impact of net increases in development?
If yes, how large is the boundary of the exclusion zone?
Have you been advised to implement a presumption against net increases of residential development in specified areas of the local authority due to a ZOI?
How many homes are currently help up as a result of the interim position?
Have you worked with any developers to agree a recreational impact mitigation scheme and allow home building to resume?

Response date: 30 November 2023

Response: Response to this request - 2551473.

November

Reference: 2541071

Subject:

Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, stating the percentage of biodiversity net gain your council will require as a condition for planning permission (under the Environment Act 2021) (a) as part of an agreed Local Plan; or (b) as part of a draft Local Plan.
Any polices and papers, from1 Jan 2019 to 1 November 2023, stating whether you have formally declared a nature/ecological emergency.
Any policies and papers, from 1 Jan 2022 to 1 November 2023, containing a target for your area to contribute to protect and manage 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
On what date your current Local Plan will be five years old and when you expect a new Local Plan to be agreed.

Response date: 30 November 2023

Response: Response to this request - 2541071.

September

Reference: 1843772

Subject:

Has the council launched or run any initiatives relating to climate anxiety? Please list all relevant schemes, consultations or initiatives launched or run in the past five years and include their costs and relevant timescales that they ran for. EG – Workshop run by X, cost £x – February 24, 2023. Please present these schemes in categories for the last five calendar years (including 2023).

Has the council paid for the services (consultations or workshops) of Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams and Megan Kennedy-Woodard? They operate under the company known as Climate Psychologists. If so, please provide details of what services they provided the council and when as well as how much the council paid for each service.

Please provide any public documents or material created or shared by the council in relation to climate anxiety.

Does the council have any policies or guidance in relation to climate anxiety and if so what is it?

Response date: 1 September 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1843772.

Reference: 1843111

Subject:

Below are the questions we would like to ask. If you are able to provide additional information beyond the question itself then this would also be very helpful. For example, for question 1 it would be helpful if you could also provide details of the collaborations – the more, the better.

How many councils have you formally collaborated with on climate action initiatives in the past 12 months?
Do you have a formal process for sharing information and best practices with other councils? If yes, please provide a link to the documentation outlining this process.
Do you have a dedicated team or individual responsible for monitoring climate action initiatives undertaken by other councils?
Do you subscribe to any databases, newsletters, or other resources that provide updates on other councils' climate actions? If yes, please list them.
How many public consultations or surveys related to climate action have you conducted in the past 12 months?
What percentage of businesses in your jurisdiction have been formally engaged in your climate action plans?
Do you have a scoring or ranking system for prioritising climate actions? If yes, please provide a link to the documentation outlining this system. If no, how do you currently prioritise potential actions?
What are the most significant barriers you face in implementing climate action initiatives?
Do you have a formal process for discovering, evaluating and adopting climate solutions from private sector suppliers? If yes, please provide a link to the documentation outlining this process.
How many people in the council have roles that focus on environmental issues? Please provide job titles and an indication of whether they are part or full time roles. If these could be listed in order of seniority it would also be helpful.
What percentage of your annual budget is specifically allocated for climate action initiatives?
Do you have a sustainable procurement policy? If yes, please provide a link to the policy document.
Do you have any case studies highlighting successful climate action initiatives? If yes, please provide links.

Response date: 1 September 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1843111.

August

Reference: 1842635

Subject:

Can confirm please how much money was spent on carbon credits in the last five years?

Response date: 31 August 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1842635.

June

Reference: 1803779

Subject:

How much you are currently charging, or plan to charge, developers for offsite biodiversity units so that they can meet their biodiversity net gain requirements
What % of biodiversity net gain you are requiring, or expect to require, from developers

Response date: 19 June 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1803779.

May

Reference: 1096073

Subject:

In consideration of the climate crisis, I would like to request the following information about how the organisation is enabling staff to reduce their emissions through sustainable transport, and more specifically, cycling.

over the past five years, broken down by year
a) how many staff members used the Cycle to Work scheme?
b) what percentage of staff was this?
c) what was the average value of the vouchers claimed on the scheme?
d) what was the number of those who took up the scheme, who then failed to complete, leaving the organisation with costs?
what tools does the organisation use to encourage cycling for their staff
a) on a work basis
b) on a leisure/health basis
with regards to staff, does the organisation
a) have any monitoring for what modes of transport staff use
i) for their journey to work
ii) for journeys during work time
b) and if this data is recorded, I request a copy of such data as detailed as it can be reasonably given, while still protecting personal data rights
how many of the following does the organisation have available for staff use
a) pedal cycles
b) electric bikes
c) motorbikes
d) internal combustion cars
e) electric or hybrid cars
f) internal combustion vans
g) electric or hybrid vans
h) heavy trucks
does the organisation mileage scheme clearly state the claim rate for cycling
how many cycling miles have been claimed by the organisation's staff in the past five years
Regarding your current cycle to work scheme -
a) what scheme is currently in place
b) what is the maximum limit on the cost of a bike, if a limit is currently in place

Response date: 9 May 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1096073.

March

Reference: 1071569

Subject:

I have been looking for a copy of some policy documents/ data related to flooding and haven't been able to find some of them on your website. Could you please point me in the right direction, or provide me with copies of the following for a flood risk study:

Critical Drainage Area and Flood Zones maps (do you have council specific GIS files (shapefiles or similar) for these that can be provided?)
Updated (if different from Nottinghamshire county council)

SWMP (Surface water management plan),
SFRA (Strategic flood risk assessment),
PFRA (preliminary flood risk assessment),
LFRS (Local Flood risk strategy), reports and appendices.

Copies of any Supplementary Planning Documents with regards to flood risk, drainage and climate change.
A copy of your flood risk assessment criteria if you have one.

Response date: 22 February 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1071569.

February

Reference: 1021505

Subject:

Please can you provide:

the total figure for how much the council has spent on net zero/carbon emission reduction advertising campaigns, including money on public communications, social media adverts, public relations and other marketing.
the total figure of any planned future expenditures on net zero/carbon emission reduction advertising campaigns, including money on public communications, social media adverts, public relations and other marketing.

Response date: 24 February 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1021505.

Reference: 1005867

Subject:

Has the council written to or met with UK national or devolved governments to ask or lobby for climate action since 1st January 2019? Please provide some evidence of the most recent letter or meeting such as a copy of the letter or email sent, or the date, topic of meeting and position of the person that the meeting was held with.

Response date: 13 February 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1005867.

Reference: 1007114

Subject:

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

Has the Council approved any new*1 or expanded*2 roads or road junctions in its area from 1st January 2019 until 1st January 2023? Please list which ones were accepted.

1. The intention of this question is to understand overall increases in road capacity, rather than recent housing developments. Please exclude minor roads built exclusively to connect new housing to the pre-existing road network.
2. An expanded road or road junction is one that has increased capacity for motor vehicle traffic, not counting bus lanes, cycle infrastructure, or pedestrian infrastructure. Please include roads and junctions where new lanes have been added.

b. Has the council approved any new or expanded airport runways, terminals, measures to increase passenger numbers or other planning proposals that expand airport capacity in its area since 1st January 2019 until 1st January 2023? Please list which ones were accepted.

Response date: 13 February 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1007114.

Reference: 1005865

Subject:

Please treat this as a Freedom of Information/Environmental Information Regulations request.

I would like information about your council’s carbon literacy training in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information may be held by the HR department or other departments that organise staff training.

In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

Have all senior management received carbon literacy training or equivalent since 1st January 2019? Please state the type of training.
Have all current councillors in the cabinet or committee chairs received carbon literacy training or equivalent since being elected? Please state the type of training.

This training could be from the Carbon Literacy Organisation or another organisation, university or in-house. We want to know the number of people who have attended the training. We don’t need to know the number of staff that have received a certificate of completion or attendance.

Response date: 2 February 2023

Response: Response to this request - 1005865.

2022

December

Reference: 982899

Subject:

Questions regarding biodiversity net gain (BNG).

Response date: 22 December 2022

Response: Response to this request - 982899.

September

Reference: 952251

Subject:

Please tell me whether the council has undertaken any tree planting schemes as part of its work to tackle climate change and/or help reach net zero or improve air quality.

Please tell me

- When the tree planting scheme took place
- How many trees were planted
- How much the scheme cost
- How many trees are still surviving

Response date: 29 September 2022

Response: Response to this request - 952251.

May

Reference: 863426

Subject: Request for information on Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Climate Emergency Declaration.

Response date: 17 May 2022

Response: Response to this request - 863426.

March

Reference: A1346489

Subject: Please detail the number of trees that have been cut down by your council in the last 3 years. Break down the figures by year and tree species. Please detail the number of trees that have been planted by your council in the last 3 years. Break down the figure by year and tree species.

Response date: 10 March 2022

Response: Response to this request - A1346489.

February

Reference: A1346508

Subject: Information for 'No Mow May'(designed by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife)

Response date: 25 February 2022

Response: Response to this request - A1346508.

Reference: A1346381

Subject: Information about flood risk issues on new domestic developments.

Response date: 25 February 2022

Response: Response to this request - A1346381.

Reference: A1346321

Subject: Information for the financial year 2020-21, and from the start of financial year 2021 to 31 December 2021, for the following:

How many trees have you planted?
How many trees have you removed/cut down/destroyed?

Response date: 15 February 2022

Response: Response to this request - A1346321.

Reference: A1346250

Subject:

Does the council take any of its energy from on-site renewable energy installations? If so, which ones?
Are there any eco-friendly initiatives for staff members to partake in? For example, green transport solutions, recycling initiatives. If so, please state them.
Who is the main energy supplier for local council buildings, and are you on a green/renewable energy tariff with them?

Response date: 1 February 2022

Response: Response to this request - A1346250.

2021

October

Reference: A1345832

Subject: Information required about the Council's carbon footprint.

Response date: 22 October 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345832.

Reference: A1345784

Subject: Please provide information about declaring a climate emergency.

Response date: 5 October 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345784.

September

Reference: A1345568

Subject: Information about declaring a climate emergency and setting a target for your area to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Response date: 1 September 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345568.

August

Reference: A1345570

Subject: Questions relating to climate emergency and carbon neutral 2030.

Response date: 27 August 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345570.

Reference: A1345610

Subject: Questions relating to climate emergency, net zero goals and sustainable housing.

Response date: 23 August 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345610.

Reference: A1345556

Subject:

A list (including address and postcode) of any of the following that are found within the local authority:

- Local Nature Reserves (LNRs)
- Non-Statutory Nature Reserves
- Local Wildlife Sites
- Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCls)
- Any other area that has been designated by the Local Authority as having distinct ecological value and which would require any building work or property development to comply with specific requirements

Response date: 13 August 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345556.

April

Reference: A1345018

Subject: Climate Change Emergency Declaration.

Response date: 15 April 2021

Response: Response to this request - A1345018.

Disclosure Log