FOI release

FOI Request - Communications Costs

Case reference FOI2026/00027

Received 8 January 2026

Published 20 January 2026

Request

I am writing to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

This request relates to your authority’s marketing, communications and engagement activity, including associated staffing, budgets, spend and functions. I am seeking this information to better understand how local authorities resource and deliver communications, engagement and consultation activity.

For the most recent full financial year for which data is available, please provide the following:

1. Organisational structure and staffing

a) The total number of employees (FTE) working wholly or primarily in marketing, communications, media, public relations, engagement, consultation or related functions.

b) The directorate, department or service area in which these staff sit.

c) A breakdown of roles or grades where available (e.g. senior leadership, managers, officers).

2. Budget and expenditure

a) The total annual budget allocated to marketing, communications and engagement activities.

b) The total actual spend for the year.

c) A breakdown of spend between:

* Staff costs (including salaries, on-costs and temporary staff or contractors) - broken down by post

* External suppliers or agencies

* Advertising and media spend

* Website development

* Graphic and digital design

* Print expenditure

* Events, consultation exercises and engagement programmes

* Any other significant categories of spend

3. Core activities

Please outline the core activities undertaken by the marketing, communications and engagement function(s), for example:

* Corporate communications and media relations

* Campaigns and public information

* Internal communications

* Digital and social media

* Web development

* Advertising/recruitment advertising/public notices

* Public consultation and engagement

* Community engagement

* Stakeholder or partner communications

4. Discretionary vs non-discretionary activity

Please indicate:

a) Which marketing, communications and engagement activities are considered essential or statutory (including any required by legislation or regulation).

b) Which activities are considered discretionary or non-essential.

c) Any distinction you make between internal, external and community-based engagement.

5. Consultation and engagement spend

Please confirm:

a) Total spend on consultation and engagement activities (internal and external).

b) How this spend is categorised or recorded within your authority (e.g. as part of communications, policy, regeneration, public health or other budgets).

Response

The information relates to the financial year 2024/25.

 

1.    Organisational structure and staffing

 

a) The total number of employees (FTE) working wholly or primarily in marketing, communications, media, public relations, engagement, consultation or related functions.

For 2024-2025:

·                1 X FT Communications Officer 

·                1 X FT Communications Manager.  

b) The directorate, department or service area in which these staff sit.

Directorate: Law and People

Service Area: Organisational Development

 

c) A breakdown of roles or grades where available (e.g. senior leadership, managers, officers).

·                Communications Officer (officer role) Grade SO

·                Communications and Engagement Manager (Manager role) Grade PO5

 

2. Budget and expenditure

a) The total annual budget allocated to marketing, communications and engagement activities.

Budget (inclusive of salaries) - £176,835

b) The total actual spend for the year.

Actual spend (inclusive of salaries) - £121,358.86

c) A breakdown of spend between:

•            Staff costs (including salaries, on-costs and temporary staff or contractors) - broken down by post  - Total = £133,393.

•            External suppliers or agencies - £32,917

•            Graphic and digital design - £7,510

•            Print expenditure - £4,191.00         

 

Any other significant categories of spend:

 

Subscriptions - £7,170.35

 

3. Core activities

Please outline the core activities undertaken by the marketing, communications and engagement function(s), for example:

  • Corporate communications and media relations

  • Campaigns and public information, ie elections, annual canvas, national recruitment campaign, LGR etc.

  • Internal communications - intranet, colleague briefings, colleague awards, daily updates, both in-person and digital support, Cllr engagement and update.

  • Digital and social media - LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

  • Design - such as creation of digital and printed media docs/imagery for use on website and social media and within printed documents

  • Video and audio - creation of accessible information using video and audio

  • Web development - management and content updates

  • Support via social media and website on recruitment advertising

  • Public consultation and engagement - examples include support for Local Plan consultation, LGR consultation and engagement events etc

  • Community engagement - Housing Roadshow, Festival of Leisure, Armistice Day, Holocaust Memorial, Consultation and Engagement events, Social Media liaison etc

  • Stakeholder or partner communications, particularly in light of large scale events or campaigns, such as LGR/Leisure Centre project/Freeport etc.

  • Business Continuity and Emergency Planning communications support in the event of incidents such as localised flooding, adverse weather conditions, large accidents or emergency situations.


4. Discretionary vs non-discretionary activity

Please indicate:
a) Which marketing, communications and engagement activities are considered essential or statutory (including any required by legislation or regulation)

·                Public Service Information

·                Business Continuity and Emergency Planning comms

·                Support to tackle disinformation

·                Internal Communications with staff, elected members and parishes

·                Accessibility of Information.

b) Which activities are considered discretionary or non-essential.

·                Event promotion - Internal/External

·                Promotion of non-essential services - External

·                Content creation, such as design, video, imagery - Internal/External

·                Design creation -  Internal/External.

 
5. Consultation and engagement spend

Please confirm:
a) Total spend on consultation and engagement activities (internal and external) - This is not available, as service areas lead engagement activities and the Communications Team provide support. 


b) How this spend is categorised or recorded within your authority (e.g. as part of communications, policy, regeneration, public health or other budgets).

Please see above.

 

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is South Derbyshire District Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.