Truth on Hold: Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s FOI Responses Don’t Add Up

In an age where public trust in institutions is increasingly fragile, accuracy and transparency are more important than ever—especially when it comes to how councils manage the housing needs of vulnerable residents. Recent revelations about conflicting Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) show why residents must remain critically alert.

A careful review of the council’s public FOI responses reveals clear discrepancies in basic facts about the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation and the money spent on hotels, hostels, and bed and breakfasts. These inconsistencies risk eroding public confidence at a time when homelessness support and financial accountability are under national scrutiny.

Two FOI Responses, Two Different Stories

On 14 August 2023, an unknown individual received an FOI response from FHDC answering a straightforward question:
“How much money has the council paid to hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses for use as temporary or emergency accommodation for homeless households in the last four full financial years?”

The council provided the following data:

Source: FHDC Salesforce FOI portal

However, on 25 April 2025, FHDC responded to a similar FOI request—and the figures for the same financial years were different again, this time by £10,106.

Source: FHDC Public FOI case record

Since the years in question are identical, the data should have matched exactly. Yet it did not—raising immediate red flags about data handling and FOI compliance within the council.

Different Household Figures Too

The discrepancies did not stop at money. The council’s figures for the number of households placed into hotels, hostels, and B&Bs also shifted between the two FOI responses.

In the August 2023 response:

Source: FHDC Salesforce FOI portal

Whereas in the April 2025 response:

Source: FHDC Public FOI case record

The difference may seem small—just five households—but when it comes to emergency accommodation for vulnerable people, every case matters. More importantly, consistent public records are essential for public trust.

Breach of Legal Duties?

Under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act 2000, councils are legally obliged to provide accurate and complete information, promoting a “climate of openness” about public spending.
When fundamental data such as costs and household numbers shift without explanation, it raises serious concerns about whether FHDC is meeting these obligations.

Homelessness remains a critical social issue in Kent and across the UK. Uncertainty over the council’s true spend on emergency accommodation only adds to public alarm at how vulnerable residents are being treated—and how taxpayer money is being spent.

Political Accountability: Who Is Responsible?

Responsibility for the council’s housing portfolio lies with Cllr Rebecca Shoob (Green Party), Cabinet Member for Housing, who is currently standing for election to Kent County Council. Critics argue these FOI inconsistencies show a worrying lack of oversight in the department she leads.

Meanwhile, Cllr Gary Fuller (Liberal Democrat), the council’s Cabinet Member for FOIs, also appears unaware—or unconcerned—that contradictory data is being released into the public domain. If neither housing nor FOI oversight is ensuring accuracy, serious questions arise about how FHDC’s internal checks are working.

An Urgent Need for Correction

The discrepancies now publicly visible should compel Folkestone & Hythe District Council to issue a corrective statement. Without it, the public is left to wonder whether these errors stem from administrative confusion—or from a desire to downplay the real costs of homelessness services.

Ultimately, at stake is not just a line on a spreadsheet, but the public’s fundamental right to know how much is being spent—and how vulnerable residents are being cared for. Accurate FOI responses are a cornerstone of public accountability, and on this count, Folkestone & Hythe faces pressing and uncomfortable questions.

P.S. These are not the only Freedom of Information responses from Folkestone & Hythe District Council that contradict each other, even when the same data has been requested.

The Shepway Vox Team

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