Our Publication Scheme
We are committed to openness and transparency. This publication scheme reinforces that commitment by increasing the public’s awareness of the work undertaken within the Council and by our partners. This is done by providing a guide to the classes of information that we publish or intend to publish routinely.
This Scheme applies to all the information we publish whether this is available in printed or electronic form. It also incorporates the information made publicly available on our website as well as information in for example, public registers which may only be available by way of inspection.
Where information is not published through this scheme we promise to deal with individual requests for information on a timely basis and to provide advice and assistance if required.
We have adopted the Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme. Which means we are committed to:
- proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, the information falling within the classifications outlined in its Guide to Information, including environmental information;
- signpost the information held by the Council falling within the classifications below
- produce and publish the methods by which the specific information is made routinely available so that it can be easily identified and accessed by members of the public;
- review and update on a regular basis the information the Council makes available under this scheme;
- produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is proactively made available;
- publicise this scheme;
- publish any dataset that has been requested, and any updated versions the Council holds, unless we are satisfied that it is not appropriate to do so; to publish the dataset, where reasonably practicable, in an electronic form that is capable of re-use; and, if any information in the dataset is a relevant copyright work and the Council is the only owner, to make the information available for re-use under a specified license
- ensure applicants are informed whether a specified license for the re-use for copyrighted material owned by the Council involves a charge and where requested, how the charge has been calculated
Classes of information
In line with the Information Commissioner’s model, our Publication Scheme contains 7 classes of information:
- Who we are and what we do
- What we spend and how we spend it
- What our priorities are and how we are doing
- How we make decisions
- Our policies and procedures
- Lists and registers
The services we offer
You can download information about our publication scheme
These classes of information will not generally include information:
- which disclosure of is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure.
- in draft form.
- that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons.
Some information may only be available in hard copy and some information will only be available for inspection. Where this is the case, this will be made clear on our website.