See answers to previous information requests

Please treat this as an Freedom of Information/Environmental Information Regulations request. I would like information about your council’s staff positions in relation to climate action for the Council Climate Action Scorecards. This information is most likely to be held by a HR department or similar. In particular, please supply me with information relating to the following questions:

1.
a) 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?
WBC has 2824 directly employed staff. This includes the following worker types; Permanent, Apprentice on permanent contract, FTC, Seconded into this position, Casual, Apprentice

b) 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.
Within the council there are 2 teams which primarily focus on the environment/climate, with one officer within the planning team also meeting the threshold mentioned within the question. These are detailed with job titles below:
Climate Emergency Team:
Climate Emergency Service Manager - FT
Specialist Climate Emergency Officer - FT
Climate Emergency Project Officer - FT
Climate Emergency Engagement Officer – FT

Blue and Green Infrastructure Team:
Head of Environmental Services – FT
Service Manager – Green Infrastructure – FT
Interim Green Infrastructure Manager – FT
Ecology Officer – FT

Planning Team:
Lead Sustainability Planning Officer - FT

2. 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 and note if they are shared across other areas.
The council has a dedicated energy team, which includes one officer specifically focused on this area of home energy efficiency retrofitting.
Energy Officer – Energy Team - FT

3. 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 and note if they are shared across other areas.
Within this council this work would be supported primarily by 2 members of the specialist Blue and Green Infrastructure Team, rather than a dedicated position within planning.
Blue and Green Infrastructure Team:
Interim Green Infrastructure Manager – FT
Ecology Officer – FT