Little Berkhamsted Parish Council
Publication Scheme under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
The purpose of this publication scheme is to be a means by which the council can make a significant amount of information available routinely. The scheme will ensure that the council publishes more information proactively, and help it to develop a greater culture of openness and transparency.
The council’s key responsibilities are to represent the electorate of its area, to take action within the legal framework and to provide leadership and focus for the community.
Core Classes of Information
1. Council Internal Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Minutes of council – limited to the last 2 years | Website | Free |
| Hard copy | 10p per sheet | |
| Procedural standing orders | Website | Free |
| Hard copy | 10p per sheet | |
| Council’s annual report to Parish Meeting | Website | Free |
| Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
2. Code of Conduct
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Members Declaration of Acceptance of Office | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Members Register of Interests | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Register of Members Interests Book | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
3. Periodic Electoral Review
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Information relating to the last Periodic Electoral Review of the council area | Available from district council | District council rules apply |
| Information relating to the latest boundary review of the council area | Available from district council | District council rules apply |
4. Employment Practice and Procedure
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Terms and conditions of employment | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Job descriptions | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
Exclusions: “Personal records” eg. appraisals, employee specific salary details, disciplinary records and the like by virtue of being personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998.
5. Planning Documents
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Responses to planning applications | Website | Free |
| Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
Exclusions: Copies of planning consultations, the Development Plan, Structure Plan, Local plan and Rights of Way/Footpath maps, all of which are available from the local planning and/or highway authority respectively.
6. Audit and Accounts
| Information | Format | Charge |
| Annual return form – limited to the last financial year | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Annual Statutory report by auditor (internal and external) – limited to the last financial year | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Receipt/Payment books, Receipt books of all kinds, Bank Statements from all accounts – limited to last financial year | Available for inspection at a public place by appointment, notes may be taken | Free |
| Summary by email | Free | |
| Precept request – limited to last financial year | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| VAT records – limited to last financial year | Available for inspection at a public place by appointment, notes may be taken | Free |
| Financial Standing Orders and Regulations | Website | Free |
| Hard copy | 10p per sheet | |
| Assets register – including details of commons/village greens owned by the council including management schemes for commons as well as village halls, community centres and recreation grounds | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
| Risk Assessments | Hard copy | 10p per sheet |
Exclusions: All commercially sensitive information, eg. quotations and tenders, loan documentation and insurance policies. With regard to quotations and tenders, this information is treated as confidential to ensure that the whole tender process is fair; ie. if tender information is released to a third party prior to the end of the tender period, those who initially submitted tenders could be undercut and/or unfairly disadvantaged.
