Data Transparency

Local Government Transparency Code 2015

The local government transparency code is issued to meet the government’s desire to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability. It will make it easier for local people to contribute to the local decision making process and help shape public services.

Click here for a full copy of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015

Data Transparency – Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities

The data on this page is published under The Open Government Licence. This is a free open licence for public sector bodies to license the use and re-use of their information and data easily. If you are intending to use or re-use any of our data please note the conditions of the licence.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in February 2015. The Code sets out key principles for local authorities in creating greater transparency through the publication of public data.

Definitions

In this Code:  “local authority” means:

• a county council in England
• a district council
• a parish council which has gross annual income or expenditure (whichever is the higher) exceeding £200,000
• a London borough council

Part 2 of the Code is recommended practice for parish councils whose gross annual income or expenditure (whichever is the higher) does not exceed £6.5 million.

There are seven classes of information which must be made available to the public.

Class 1
Who makes up the council and their roles:

• Names of councillors, roles e.g. Chairman of the council, Chairmen of committees of the Council
• Council Structure i.e. confirming existence and purpose of committees and sub-committees of the Council
• Locations and accessibility details
• Staff contact details

Class 2
What the council spends and how it spends it

• Annual Statutory report by Auditor
• Level of Precept adopted at Full Council on 27th January 2015
• 2015/2016 Budget adopted at Full Council on 24th March 2015
• Level of Precept adopted at Full Council on 27th January 2016
• 2016/2017 Budget adopted at Full Council on 5th April 2016
  
• Level of Precept adopted at Full Council on 24th January 2017
• 2017/2018 Budget adopted at Full Council on 24th January 2017
• Councillors’ allowances and/or expenses
• Loans sanctioned – Not applicable
• Financial Regulations and Standing Orders
• Invitation to Tender:  None at the present time
• 2014-15 Expenditure Transactions over £500 (.pdf)
• 2014-15 Expenditure Transactions over £500 (.csv)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – April-June 2015 (.pdf)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – April-June 2015 (.csv)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – July-Sept 2015 (.pdf)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – July-Sept 2015 (.csv)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Oct-Dec 2015 (.pdf)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Oct-Dec 2015 (.csv)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Jan-Mar 2016 (.pdf)
• 2015-16 Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Jan-Mar 2016 (.csv)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Apr-Jun 2016 (pdf)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – April-Jun 2016 (csv)
• 2016-17 – Expediture Transactions over £500 – Jul-Sept 2016 (pdf)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Jul-Sept 2016 (csv)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Oct-Dec 2016 (pdf)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Oct-Dec 2016 (csv)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Jan-Mar 2017 (pdf)
• 2016-17 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Jan-Mar 2017 (csv)
  
• 2017-18 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Apr-Jun 2018 (pdf)
  
• 2017-18 – Expenditure Transactions over £500 – Apr-Jun 2018 (csv)

Class 3
The council’s priorities and its progress

• Annual Report to parish or community meeting

Class 4
How the council makes decisions

• Meetings & Agendas
• Summary of meetings agreed at the Annual Meeting on 19th May 2015
  Summary of meetings agreed at Full Council on 15th March 2016
  Summary of meetings agreed at the Annual Meeting on 23rd May 2017
• Responses to panning applications – see individual Planning & Highways Committee meeting minutes
• Procedural Standing Orders
• Councillors’ Register of Interests      – see also Dorset for You 
• Minutes of council and council sub-committee meetings
  
  
• Summary of meetings adopted at the Annual Meeting on 23rd May 2017

Class 5
The council’s policies and procedures

Class 6
Lists and Registers

• Any publicly available register or list
• List of Assets – Fixed Asset Register to March 2015
  Fixed Asset Register to March 2016
  Fixed Asset Register to March 2017

Class 7
The Council’s services

Information about the services concerning, for example:

• Allotments
• Burial Grounds
• Community centre and village halls- Not applicable
• Parks and playing fields
• Highways – Not applicable
• Byelaws – Not applicable
• Litter Bins
• Bus Shelters
• Markets
• Public conveniences which the council offers
• Leaflets, newsletters produced for the public and businesses – The Town Crier
• Details of the services for which the council charges, together with details of its charges and/or fees

The seven classes of information above, do not include:

• information that the council is prevented from disclosing by law
• information exempt under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Information in draft form

If a council does not hold the type of information in one of the classess, it will not be in breach of any statutory obligations under the 2000 Act.

Ensuring that the public can access the information via the council’s Publication Scheme is vital.  A council’s publication shcme must confirm how much the information in the seven classess can be accessed and if there is a charge.

Part 2 of the Code is recommended practice for parish councils whose gross annual income or expenditure (whichever is the higher) does not exceed £6.5 million.

Information to be published quarterly:

• Government Procurement Card transactions

Credit Card Transactions 2016/17 to 29th September 2016
Credit Card Transactions 2016/17 – October 2016 – March 2017
Credit Card Transactions 2017/18 – April to June 2017

• Procurement Information – invitation to tender for contracts to provide goods and/or services with a value that exceeds £5,000 – Not applicable

Information to be published Annually:

• Local Authority Land Register 2016-2017
• Grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
  Community Grants awarded for 2015/16 were agreed at Full Council 24th March 2015
  Community Grants awarded for 2016/17 were agreed at Full Council 28th June 2016
  Community Grants awarded for 2017/18 were agreed at General Management Committee 13th June 2017 Resolved at Full Council on 27th June 2017

• Organisational Structure – Council
• Organisational Structure – Staff
• Trade Union facility time – Not applicable
• Parking Revenues – Not applicable
• Controlled Parking spaces – Not applicable
• Senior Salaries – Number of employees whose remuneration in that year was at least £50,000 – Not applicable
• Constitution – Not applicable
• 2016-2017 Pay multiple
• Waste Contracts – Duty of Care