Publication scheme

The Council adopted the Information Commissioner's new model publication scheme from 1 January 2009 and is committed to routinely and proactively providing information to the public.

The Council's new publication scheme commits the Council:

  • To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information, including environmental information, which is held by the authority and falls within the seven classifications defined in the scheme.
  • To specify the information which is held by the authority and falls within the seven classifications.
  • To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information in line with the statements contained within the scheme.
  • To 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.
  • To review and update on a regular basis the information the authority makes available under the scheme.
  • To produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is made proactively available.
  • To make the publication scheme available to the public.

The scheme classifies information at a high level and broadly states the way we can provide information and what we can charge for.

We are not required to make information routinely available when:

  • the information is not held
  • the information is exempt from disclosure, for instance personal data or commercial interest
  • the authority cannot easily access the information.

The information should be easy to access through this website or be easily and quickly sent out by a member of the staff upon receipt of a request. When asked to provide information in hard copy we must do so. It is important that all sections of the community can access information.