Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Oxford City Council

This is a disclosure log of Oxford City Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

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323 disclosures

  1. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Data

    I am requesting information regarding the implementation and impact of the mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement on planning applications submitted to your council. Please provide the following data for the period from 12 February 2024 to the date of your response. Planning Application Decisions: * The total number of planning applications refused where failure to meet the statutory Biodiversity Net Gain requirement was a primary or contributing reason for refusal. * The total number of planning applications that have been delayed or had a decision withheld pending the submission or approval of a satisfactory BNG plan. Length of Delays: * For the applications delayed due to BNG requirements (as identified in question 1), what has been the average length of the delay, measured in weeks, from the initial target decision date? BNG Enforcement: * The total number of enforcement actions or formal investigations the council has initiated related to non-compliance with BNG obligations on approved developments. * The total number of financial penalties or fines that have been issued by the council for breaches of BNG requirements and the total monetary value (£) of these penalties. Reasons for Planning Delays (Context): * A list of the five most common reasons cited for delays in determining planning applications within your council since 12 February 2024. If possible, please indicate the percentage of total delays each reason accounts for, to help contextualise the impact of BNG relative to other factors. If my request is too broad, please let me know which parts can be fulfilled within the appropriate cost limits. I would be happy to refine the scope of this request. Please provide the information in a digital format, such as a CSV or Excel file, sent to this email address.

    Published: 14 July 2025

  2. Electricity ,Gas Consumption and Values

    We formally request under the FOI 2000 regulations Act and EIR 2004 regulations Act data you hold, and which is already or will be in the public domain For the year to 31-Mar-25 for all sites within your control, we please require the below to be disclosed: 1. Organisation Name: 2. Your grid Electricity kwh's consumed & the £-value spent excl-vat? 3. The natural Gas kwh's consumed & the £-value spent excl-vat? 4. Please do also indicate if the electricity is classed as or % from renewable sources or traditional Brown? Notes: Given the cost increases to the residents of each local authority, there is a huge public interest in accountability of ALL public sector energy usage & energy costs across all Local authorities, all Government departments and all publicly funded or linked organisations which fall within freedom of disclosure requests. For the avoidance of doubt, disclosure of energy kwh usages falls firmly within the EIR 2004 regulations, and the cost disclosure fall within your normal cost spend disclosure as stated on your public facing website disclosures and so there is nothing which could be considered as a valid ROI exemption nor could claim to be commercially sensitive etc. Considering the unfettered full disclosure of all Government departments and over 400 local authorities etc within our last £4.3 billion cost report, then as FOI obligates local authorities etc to adhere to full disclosure, any refusal will be passed onto their local media.

    Published: 14 July 2025

  3. Section 106 Affordable Housing Delivery

    I hope this email finds you well. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting the following information relating to Section 106 affordable housing delivery and the involvement of Registered Providers (RPs): 1. How many completed Section 106 affordable housing units (i.e. physically built and ready for occupation) currently remain unsold due to the absence of a contract with a Registered Provider? 2. How many Section 106 affordable housing units that are either under construction or due to commence construction within the next 12 months are not currently under contract with a Registered Provider? 3. In total, how many residential development sites that include Section 106 affordable housing have been delayed or stalled in the past three years due to the inability to secure an RP to acquire the affordable units? 4. Where no RP has agreed to acquire Section 106 affordable housing units, what alternative solutions has the council implemented? (e.g. payments in lieu, variations to S106 agreements, direct purchase by the council or other delivery mechanisms). 5. Does the council currently accept the inclusion of cascade mechanisms in newly negotiated Section 106 agreements to address situations where no RP can be secured?

    Published: 8 July 2025

  4. Housing Waiting List

    Dear Oxford City Council, Can you please provide a breakdown of the number of families or individuals currently on the Council's housing list broken down by the number of bedrooms and how long they have been on the waiting list: 1 Bedroom (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 2 Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 3 Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 4 Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 5 Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 6 Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property) 7+ Bedrooms (how many people are registered on the housing waiting list for this class of property)

    Published: 4 July 2025

  5. Spend on external consultants

    I hope you are well. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I would like to request the following information from your organisation: For each of the last five financial years (2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25), how much money was spent by the local authority on external consultants? Please could you break the data down into a total amount and separated by year.

    Published: 4 July 2025

  6. How many council properties are vacant in the city

    How many 3 & 4 bedroomed properties are vacant in Oxford city

    Published: 30 June 2025

  7. Planning application fees

    I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please could you provide answers to as many of the following questions as possible: * Please provide a breakdown of how the additional income generated from the increase in planning application fees introduced on 6 December 2023 has been allocated or spent. Where possible, please specify the services or functions supported and the amount allocated to each. * Has the additional income generated from the planning application fee increase introduced on 6 December 2023 been used exclusively to support the delivery of the Local Authority's planning function? * What percentage of residential planning applications (minor and major), submitted after 6 December 2023, have resulted in an agreed extension of time? * What percentage of residential planning applications (minor and major), submitted after 6 December 2023, have resulted in fee refunds under the Planning Guarantee?

    Published: 25 June 2025

  8. Council Tax discount

    Dear FOI Officer, I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding Council Tax discounts in your local authority. 1. What percentage of households currently receive any form of Council Tax discount in the 2025/26 financial year? Please include all discount types (e.g. single person discount, low income-based reductions, disability-related discounts, student exemptions, etc.). 1. What percentage of households received Council Tax discounts in the 2024/25 financial year? 1. Have any Council Tax discounts or exemptions been reduced, removed, or otherwise changed in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25? If so: * Please specify the types of changes made (e.g. eligibility rules, discount rates, categories affected). * The effective date(s) of these changes. 1. Of the households that received any Council Tax discount in 2024/25, how many (and what percentage) are receiving a reduced discount or no discount in 2025/26? If possible, please provide this by discount type (e.g. single person, low income, disability-related, etc.). 1. If available, please provide any impact assessments, internal reports, consultation documents, or equality impact assessments related to these changes.

    Published: 24 June 2025

  9. FOI – Use of bailiffs to collect council tax debt in 2024/25 and 2023/24

    Dear Sir/Madam, FOI Request – Oxford use of bailiffs/enforcement agents to collect council tax debt in 2024/25 and 2023/24 Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we would like to request the following information. 1. Tax year 24/25: The number of times between 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce council tax debts owed to the local authority. 1. Tax year 23/24: The number of times between 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024 that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce council tax debts owed to the local authority. Please provide a separate figure for each tax year, rather than a combined figure. By “private bailiffs/enforcement agents” we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control. 1. Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support / Reduction from the use of bailiff action? (Yes/No)

    Published: 23 June 2025

  10. Social Media Management and Social Listening Tool

    The information that we require is as follows:- 1) Do you use a social media management platform? 2) If so, what tools do you use? 3) What is your annual spend on a Social media management tool? 4) What dates does your contract with your current supplier end (in the format of [month/year])? 5)Do you use a social listening / media monitoring platform? 6) If so, what tools do you use? 7) What is your annual spend on a social listening / media monitoring tool? 8) What dates does your contract with your current supplier end (in the format of [month/year])?

    Published: 23 June 2025