Local Government Transparency Code
The local government transparency code sets out key principles for local authorities in creating greater transparency through the publication of open data.
The data on this page and across the website is published under the Open Government Licence. This is a free open licence for public sector bodies to licence the use and re-use of information and data easily. If you are intending to use any of our data please note the conditions of the licence.
Contents
Payments over £250
Our transparency on spend page publishes items of spending over £500 since April 2010 and items of spending over £250 from June 2012.
Government procurement card transactions
Our transparency on spend page publishes items of spending on procurement cards.
Procurement information
The Kent Business Portal provides details of the contracts awarded by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and our tenders and procurement pages hold information about our tenders and contracts.
Local authority land
As part of the requirement to make our data open and transparent, we publish a list of our land and property assets.
Our operational and non-operational asset lists can be downloaded below, and these include the following information:
- unique property reference number
- unique asset identity
- address of building/land or both
- map reference (easting/northing)
- property tenure type
- tenure details
- holding type
Social housing asset value
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council does not own any social housing assets.
Grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
Our transparency on spend page holds data relating to grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
Organisation chart
Name:William Benson
Department:Chief Executive
Contract:Permanent
Grade:CEX
Salary Bracket: £145,000-£149,999
Budget:£16,627,170
Email:william.benson@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
- Director of Change and Communities
Name:Paul Taylor
Department:Change and Communities
Contract:Permanent
Grade:DIR
Salary Bracket:£105,000 - £109,999
Budget:£12,067,580
Email:paul.taylor@tunbridgewells.gov.uk- Head of Housing, Health and Environment
Name:Gary Stevenson
Department:Housing, Health and Environment
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM1
Salary Bracket:£90,000 - £94,999
Budget: £6,488,610
Email: gary.stevenson@tunbridgewells.gov.uk - Head of HR, Customer Service and Culture
Name:Vacant
Department:HR, Customer Service and Culture
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM1
Salary Bracket:£85,000 to £89,999
Budget: £2,651,780
Email: - Head of Digital Services and Communications
Name:Ian Hirst
Department:Digital Services and Communications
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM2
Salary Bracket:£75,000 - £79,999
Budget: £933,910
Email: ian.hirst@tunbridgewells.gov.uk - Head of Facilities and Community Hubs
Name:Denise Haylett
Department:Facilities and Community Hubs
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM3
Salary Bracket:£70,000 - £74,999
Budget: £1,847,570
Email: denise.haylett@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
- Director of Finance Policy and Development (S151 Officer)
Name:Lee Colyer
Department:Finance, Policy and Development
Contract:Permanent
Grade:DIR
Salary Bracket: £115,000 - £119,999
Budget:£4,360,230
Email:lee.colyer@tunbridgewells.gov.uk- Head of Economic Development and Property
Name:David Candlin
Department:Economic Development and Property
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM1
Salary Bracket: £90,000-£94,999
Budget: £323,080
Email: david.candlin@tunbridgewells.gov.uk - Head of Planning
Name:Carlos Hone
Department:Planning
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM1
Salary Bracket:: £80,000 - £84,999
Budget: £1,225,890
Email:carlos.hone@tunbridgewells.gov.uk - Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking
Name:Jane Fineman
Department:Finance, Procurement and Parking
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM1
Salary Bracket: £95,000 - £99,999
Budget: £1,163,810
Email: jane.fineman@tunbridgewells.gov.uk - Head of Governance and Democratic Services
Name:Andy Sturtivant
Department:Governance and Democratic Services
Contract:Permanent
Grade:SM3
Salary Bracket:£60,000 - £64,999
Budget: £1,289,140
Email: andy.sturtivant@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
Trade Union facility time
Information for 2023/24
| Transparency Code 2015 Part 2.2 Paragraph 45 | |
|---|---|
| Total number (absolute number and full time equivalent) of staff who are union representatives (including general, learning and health and safety representatives) | 4.34 |
| Total number (absolute number and full time equivalent) of union representatives who devote at least 50 per cent of their time to union duties | 0 |
| Names of all trade unions represented in the local authority | UNISON |
| A basic estimate of spending on unions (calculated as the number of full-time equivalent days spent on union duties multiplied by the average salary) | £2,149.43 |
| A basic estimate of spending on unions as a percentage of the total pay bill (calculated as the number of full-time equivalent days spent on union duties multiplied by the average salary divided by the total pay bill) | 0.00% |
Parking spaces and account
Information for 2023/24
Spaces
- on-street residents parking spaces: 3,266
- on-street miscellaneous spaces: 467
- off-street chargeable spaces: 3,814
- off-street free for disabled badge holders: 118
Accounts
Expenditure
| Expenditure | |
|---|---|
| Employee costs | £1,169,824.22 |
| Transport costs | £10,679.93 |
| Supplies and services | £403,022.62 |
| Central support service allocation | £491,640.22 |
| Capital charges | £1,298,502.87 |
| Premises costs | £1,751,737.02 |
| Total | £5,125,406.88 |
Income
| Income | |
|---|---|
| On-street | £422,680.88 |
| Off-street | £5,496,766.36 |
| Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) | £3,561,882.85 |
| Total | £9,481,330.09 |
Deficit/Surplus
| Deficit/Surplus | |
|---|---|
| Off Street surplus goes into the overall Council budget | £2,376,872.23 |
| On Street Surplus | £1,979,050.98 |
| TOTAL | £4,355,923.21 |
Senior staff salaries
Senior staff are defined as including both statutory and non-statutory chief officers and their deputies.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has interpreted this as meaning the following roles:
- Chief Executive (Head of the Paid Service)
- Director of Shared MKS
- Director of Change and Communities and
- Director of Finance and Corporate Services
- eight Heads of Service
The Head of Legal Services and the Deputy Monitoring Officer are Partnership employees employed by Swale Borough Council and therefore information regarding their pay is published by Swale Borough Council.
Senior salaries information is published on our transparency on spend page.
Constitution
The Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people. Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the Council to choose.
Pay policy statement and pay multiple
The following information regarding the pay multiplier is contained within the pay policy statement for 2023/24:
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has calculated the mean and median salaries of its staff, and the ratios between those and the highest paid member of staff as follows:
- Mean Salary 2023/24 = £35,886
- Median Salary 2023/24 = £31,647
- Chief Executive as a ratio to Mean Salary = 3.99
- Chief Executive as a ratio to Median Salary = 4.53
- Chief Executive as a ratio to Grade C 100% Salary = 6.60
This Council believes that, as a general principle, the Chief Executive’s salary should be no more than ten times that of the lowest paid member of staff.
Fraud
2023-2024 Counter Fraud work
| Transparency Code 2015 Part 2.2 Section 53 | Response | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Number of occasions they use powers under The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud (Power to require information (England) Regulations 2014 or similar Powers) | 0 | Tunbridge Wells Borough Council does not own housing stock. However, the Housing team will investigate possible fraud regarding housing applications. |
| Total number (absolute and full time equivalent) of employees undertaking investigations and prosecutions of fraud | 1.5 | The team is made up of Compliance and Fraud officers. The Compliance officers investigate cases that involve Council Tax Discounts and exemptions and Non-domestic rates. The Fraud Officer joint works with the DWP and will also investigate Housing benefit where there is also Council Tax Support in payment. |
| Total number (absolute and full time equivalent) of professionally accredited counter fraud specialists | 1.5 | |
| Total amount spent by the authority on the investigations and prosecution of fraud | £19,772.00 | Total cost of team is £222,387.00. However, Kent County Council funding is £151,328 and the three councils share the remaining cost. The actual cost to Tunbridge Wells was £19,772.00. |
| Total number of fraud cases investigated | 38 | This figure represents all the alleged fraud cases investigated for Tunbridge Wells only. The team look at many other cases where Single Person Discount is investigated, as well as other data sets being matched and then Council Tax/Business Rates/or other Exemptions/Discounts are reviewed. We also work jointly with the DWP on Housing. |