Disclosure Log

Trade Union Offices (FOI/7190)

Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 27 February 2026

Dear *********,

 

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REFERENCE FOI/7190

Thank you for your request for information relating to Trade Union Offices.

We are now able to provide the following information:

1. The details of any office accommodation your organisation provides to staff to carry out trade union business. Please include details of:

  • space measured in square feet: The only space that we have set aside for Trade Union offices is at County Hall and is 20.3 metres square.
  • how much of this space is contained within entirely separate buildings (i.e. occupied solely by staff carrying out trade union business): None.
  • whether a professional valuation of the market rental value of the space has been sought either in-house or externally, and if so, what the valuation of the space was: Not applicable. 
  • any charges the council levy for office space given to trade unions: None.

2. Do you deduct trade union subscriptions for any of your employees via payroll (sometimes known as the "check off" system) If so, do you charge a fee to the trade unions concerned for providing this service Yes we deduct TU subscriptions.  We have a DOCAS agreement with UNISON. 

3. With regard to trade union facility time, please provide the total cost of facility time from your pay bill for the financial year 2024/25 and the budget for the current financial year. Please also advise the current number of employees that you fund to be union officials, measured as full time equivalents (For guidance on definitions please refer to the Government"s Transparency Code for local government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-transparency-code-2015/local-government-transparency-code-2015) 
This information can be found here: Trade unions | Nottinghamshire County Council

4.  Please advise any estimates for other costs met for those staff on trade union facility time apart from salaries - including travel expenses, office supplies, telephone expenses and energy bills.
None.

We trust this now satisfies your request and that you find this information to be helpful, however if you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled, then please email us at [email protected] quoting the reference FOI/7190 and we will be happy to review your request

For future reference, Nottinghamshire County Council regularly publishes previous FOI requests and answers on its website, under Disclosure logs, that may provide details relating to your query. (see link) Your privacy: we use your personal information such as name and address so that we can comply with our legal obligations to respond to FOI requests.  For further details about the use of information about you, please see the information handling privacy notice on our website at https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/4323566/informationgovernanceandinformationrightsprivacynotice.pdf

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review.   Requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to: Complaints and Information Team, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7QP or [email protected].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WILMSLOW, SK9 5AF or