In this guide you can view the available information, where it can be obtained and if there is a charge.

Please take a look at the publication scheme and the information on the website before making a freedom of information request, to see whether the information you require is included. If the information you wish to see is not included in the scheme you are still able to make a request under general right of access.

This website groups information by council functions. We aim to make searching through the types of information as easy as possible. By grouping information together irrespective of department, you can see the full range of publicly available information.

Some information is held in public registers and is not held in a form suitable for publication in the normal sense and in these cases the information is available in specified locations for public inspection.

To promote openness and transparency, the government recommends that local authorities publish specific key datasets. These are listed on our Data transparency page.

Exempt information

We may have to withhold information where there are valid reasons for doing so. There may be exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 that prevent some information from being released. Where this occurs, the material will clearly show where information has been withheld.

Information which the council will refrain from publishing includes:

• personal records
• records that contain personal data or sensitive personal data as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998
• records pertaining to legal proceedings, court summonses, witness statements, etc.
• emergency planning, where disclosure may prejudice emergency procedures
• records relating to the council’s audit function
• contract information regarding commercially sensitive material, tenders and contract documents

The above list is not exhaustive, it's intended to provide examples of possible exemptions.

Copyright

Some of the information contained on this website is protected by copyright. Before you re-publish any of the material on our website you'll need to seek our permission as the copyright owners.

Please don't make alterations or additions to the material on our website. The material may also not be sold or otherwise misappropriated. However, you're free to download or copy the information on our site for personal use.

Charges for information

Information which is published and accessed on our website will be provided free of charge.

Charges may be made for:

• photocopying
• postage and packing
• the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they're legally authorised. If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested before we can provide the information.