Publication Scheme

Introduction

South Staffordshire is a mainly rural area on the north western edge of the West Midlands conurbation. The District is made up of a collection of diverse settlements ranging from hamlets to large villages. It covers an area of approximately 101,000 acres with an estimated population of 106,200 people.

South Staffordshire Council provides a wide range of services to the public including Leisure, Community Safety, Waste Collection, Street Cleansing, Development Control and Building Control.

The Council collects Council Tax and Business Rates and provides Council Tax and Housing Benefit.

The Council enforces Public Health and Environmental legislation. It maintains the Local Land Charges Register and handles local searches.

The Council does not provide the following services:-

Social Care and Health

Education

Libraries and Museums

Housing Stock has been transferred to the social landlord South Staffordshire Housing Association.

What is a Publication Scheme?

The purpose of the publication scheme is to provide a guide to the information the Council publishes or intends to publish in the future.

South Staffordshire Council is required under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to maintain a publication scheme and this scheme has been produced following the updated guidance provided by the Information Commissioner, and follows the approved methodology.

In order to help you find the information you require the scheme is separated into 7 broad headings:

Who we are and what do we do

What we spend and how we spend it

What our priorities are and how we are doing

How we make our decisions

Our Policies and Procedures

Lists and Registers

Services Provided by the Council

Wherever possible the information will be made available on the Council website, and you can search for it via http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/ however providing information electronically is not always possible and where this is the case you should request the information in writing. If you require assistance in formulating your request then you may telephone the council for assistance.

What information am I entitled to?

Anyone anywhere can request any information held by the Council whether it is listed in the publication scheme or not. However some information held by the Council may be exempt as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or subject to an exception as defined by the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can be absolute or qualified.

An absolute exemption means that the exempt information will not normally be made available to you at all. A qualified exemption means that the information will be made available to you, unless the public interest in not disclosing it outweighs the public interest in disclosure. This means that the Council will have to consider and decide whether the public interest is greater.

Some of the absolute exemptions include information :-

Which is accessible by other means eg downloadable from the Council’s website

Which is or relates to court records

Which is personal data protected under the Data Protection Act

Which is subject to legal professional privilege

Qualified exemptions include information:-

Which relates to investigations and proceedings

Which relates to law enforcement

Which relates to health and safety

Which is commercially confidential

Can I use the information supplied to me for any purpose?

The simple answer to this is No. Information which is supplied to you under the legislation is for your personal use only and it may be subject to copyright, either the Council’s or a third party’s.

Simply because information is published on the Council’s website or available under the legislation does not mean the Council or the third party has waived its copyright.

If you wish to re-use any information you must write in to Policy and Partnerships, Council Offices, Wolverhampton Rd, Codsall, South Staffordshire, WV8 1PX.

How much does it cost?

Where information is available online it is free for you to download and information that is already provided free of charge, such as leaflets and forms, will be e-mailed or posted at no cost.

The Council may make charges if the information requested is covered by a statutory fee or is listed in the Council’s schedule of charges.

The Council may make charges for photocopying or posting information and you will be written to with the charges explained to you, any fee requested will need to be paid for prior to the information being sent.

Should you have any queries about the scheme or wish to make a request please contact:-

Policy and Partnerships,

Council Offices,

Wolverhampton Rd,

Codsall,

South Staffordshire,

WV8 1PX.

Or e-mail – freedomofinformation@sstaffs.gov.uk.

Information Class	Description	Where to obtain information?
Who we are and what do we do	Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts
	Services A-Z This lists the services that the council provides and ways to contact them.	Services A-Z Most services can be accessed via the main switchboard on 01902 696000.
	Council Constitution The Council’s Constitution consists of a number of documents that, under the Local Government Act 2000, are required to be brought together and made available for public inspection. The articles of the constitution set out the basic principles that underlie the way the council operates.	Council Constitution Hard copies are available on request for £10
	Council’s Portfolio Structure This details the political structure of the council and the Councillors responsible for each portfolio	The Cabinet
	Strategic Management Team This details the responsibilities and names of the Strategic Management Team	Our Management Team
	Committees Lists the role of each commitee and the members involved.	Committees
	Location and Opening times of Council Offices	Contact us These are also publicised in our reception area or via the telephone.
	Currently elected Councillors’ information and contact details This gives the Councillors’ name, their address, the ward they represent and their political affiliation.	District Councillors
	Most Recent Election Results. Details of the outcome of the most recent elections relevant to the District.	Elections
	Relationships with other authorities Staffordshire is a two tier council area which means that it has a County Council which is responsible for: Education, Social Care and Health, Child Protection, Libraries Highways and eight District Councils of which South Staffordshire Council is one. In addition there are 27 parishes in South Staffordshire each with a Parish Council.	Staffordshire County Council contact details are: St Chad’s Place Stafford ST16 2LR Tel – 01785 223121 http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/ Staffordshire County Council Freedom of Information website South Staffordshire Parish Council details
	The Role of the Returning Officer	http://www.sstaffs.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=12845
	The Role of the Monitoring Officer	Details can be found within the Council Constitution, hard copies available on request £10 Council Constitution
What we spend and how we spend it	Financial information about projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit. Information is available for the current and previous two financial years, both for the council as a whole but also for departments.
	The Budget Book contains our Medium Term Financial Strategy, details of Council Tax and any precepts and a detailed breakdown of the budget both revenue and capital, including the capital programme.	Budget Book Hard Copies are available for a £10 fee
	Statement of Accounts This details how we spent your money in the previous financial year.	Statement of Accounts
	Annual Governance Report by the External Auditor The Council’s external auditor is the Audit Commission and this is their report on the governance of the council.	Annual Governance Report
	Asset Management Plan This details all of the council’s assets and how they are maintained.	Asset Management Plan
	The members allowance scheme and the allowances paid under it to Councillors each year The total of the allowances and expenses paid to councillors by reference to categories, for example travel, subsistence and accommodation. Council guidelines on the level and claiming of expenses can also be found here.	Council Constitution
	General Council Tax and Business Rates Information Leaflets	Council Tax information leaflets
	Council Tax Budget Summary Leaflet Information on how the Council Tax for the District is calculated	Council Tax Budget Summary leaflet Also distributed to every household.
	Procurement Procedures Details of Council procedures for acquiring goods and services and contracts available for public tender.	Procurement Procedures
	Details of contracts available for public tender This information will relate to contracts that are large enough to need to go through formal tendering.	Contracts and Tenders
	Lists of contracts awarded and their value. Details of recent contracts awarded by the Council that have gone through formal tendering.	Open Council - Contracts and Tenders
	Internal financial regulations	Included in the Constitution: Council Constitution
	Funding for partnership arrangements Details of the funding arrangements for partnerships where the council takes the lead role in the partnership arrangement. Details of the funding provided where the council contributes funding to a partnership arrangement managed by another authority.	These are included in the Budget Book: Budget Book
What are our priorities and how are we doing	This section includes strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews. Information is available for the current and previous three years, not only for the council as a whole but also for departments where available. The following list shows you the type of information includes reports or recorded information showing the council’s planned or actual performance:
	Corporate Strategy Details the Councils priorities.	Corporate Strategy Copy available on request
	Annual Report This documents each year how well we have delivered against the commitments we made in the previous year, a user friendly statement of accounts and sets out our commitments for the current year.	Annual Report Hard copy available on request.
	Community Strategy Details the priorities for the district as a whole which will be addressed by the Local Strategic Partnership .	Community Strategy Copy available on request
	Portfolio Service Plan The service plan details the function of the relevant portfolio its staffing structure, its budget allocation and the plans for the current year. Direct Services This covers Housing Services (Operations), Housing and Council Tax Benefits, Local Taxation, Commercial Development(management of the Council’s industrial estates), and the Customer Contact Centre. Environmental Services This covers waste management, leisure services, grounds maintenance and bereavement services and engineering services. Partnership Services This covers partnership services including the Local Strategic Partnership, Community Safety Partnership, corporate policy and performance, locality and community services and internal and external communications. Strategic Services This area covers development plans and conservation, strategic housing and regeneration, tourism, economic development and disabled facilities grants, the Local Development Framework and landscape planning services. Support Services This covers ICT, accountancy and finance and procurement. Public Health Protection Services This covers health and safety, food hygiene, pest control, nuisances, fly tipping, dog fouling, pollution control, civil parking enforcement, housing enforcement, abandoned vehicles, procurement, licensing and legal services.	All Portfolio Plans can be found here: Corporate Plans For Individual Portfolio Plans: Direct Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012 Environmental Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012 Partnership Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012 Strategic Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012 Support Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012 Public Health Protection Services Portfolio Plan 2011-2012
	External Inspection Reports In the past three years the Council has undergone external inspection of our Environmental Health(General) Service and our Revenues and Benefits Service	External Inspection Report
	Community Safety Partnership Plan This details the plan for action against the priorities around crime prevention and community safety as identified in the Strategic Assessment.	Community Safety Partnership Plan
	Impact Assessments To comply with best practice around equalities and diversity all Council policies and activities need to have an assessment of whether a practice would inadvertently have a detrimental impact on certain groups within the community. These impact assessments can be found at the following link	Impact Assessments
	Customer Charter The service standards you can expect from us	Customer Charter
	South Staffordshire Local Plan (SSLP) 1996 Includes all inset plans and proposal maps of potential building sites across the district and the green belt.	South Staffordshire Local Plan 1996 Hard Copy available for £15 incl p&p.
	Supplementary Planning Guidance Additional guidance around land usage and planning issues around specific issues.	Supplementary Planning Guidance Hard Copies available
	SSLP Background Documents Again this is additional information in support of the Local Plan above.	Hard Copies available as follows: Inspectors Report £15.00 Deposit Local Plan 2003 £25.00 Urban Housing Capacity Study £5.00 Settlement Study £5.00 Public Transport Accessibility Profile £2.00 Physical and Environment Constraints £2.00 Self-Containment Study £2.00 Congestion Study £2.00 Landscape Study £5.00
	South Staffordshire Local Development Framework (LDF) This will replace the South Staffordshire Local Plan and will cover land usage across the district. When adopted this will be the main document relating to planning issues which will have specific guidance around priority areas appendixed to it.	South Staffordshire Local Development Framework (LDF)
	Annual Monitoring Report This details the progress made towards preparation of the South Staffordshire Local Development Framework	Annual Monitoring Report
	Local Development Scheme The Local Development Scheme (LDS) is a public statement of South Staffordshire Council’s three-year programme for producing Local Development Documents (LDDs), which will make up the South Staffordshire District Local Development Framework (LDF). This framework will replace the existing Local Plan and form part of the Development Plan for the area alongside the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), prepared by the Regional Planning Body.	Local Development Scheme Hard Copy also available
	Statement of Community Involvement This details the methodology for consulting interested stakeholders on the development of the Local Development Framework.	Statement of Community Involvement Hard Copy also available
	Core Strategy DPD Documents The Core Strategy is a fundamental component of the LDF and will set out the long-term vision, spatial objectives and core policies to guide the future development of the District.	Core Strategy DPD Documents Hard Copies also available
	Supplementary Planning Documents These are documents that address specific issues with the LDF such as Affordable Housing, Wolverhamption Airport etc.	Supplementary Planning Documents Hard Copy also available
	Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment This provides information on the availability of land for potential future housing developments	Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment
	Strategic Flood Risk Assessment An assessment of any areas that are liable to flooding.	Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
How we make decisions	Information on the decision-making processes and records of decisions, information will cover the time frame current year plus 3 previous years
	Timetable of Council meetings Agendas, officers’ reports, background papers and minutes of Council committees.	Meetings and Committees
	Public consultations Details of concluded consultation exercises included access to the consultation papers or information about where the papers can be obtained. This area includes the results and outcomes of consultation exercises	Residents Panel Public Consultation
	The Forward Plan This lists all the forthcoming major decisions to be considered by the Council in the next three months.	The Forward Plan
Our policies and procedures	This section covers the Councils current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering its services and responsibilities. Some of the information about policies and procedures may be covered by the Council’s Constitution, so if you cannot find what you are looking for here please look there.
	Policies and procedures for delivering our services. This includes local area agreement memoranda and policies and procedures for handling information requests.	Freedom of Information Policy
	Policies and procedures about the recruitment and employment of staff Vacancies advertised as part of recruitment policies and details of current vacancies. Our policies relating to our staff covering both the provision of services and the employment of staff for example, equality and diversity and health and safety.	General Conditions of Service Job Vacancies
	Customer service Our standards for providing services to the council’s customers, including the complaint procedure. Complaints procedures include those covering requests for information and operating the publication scheme.	Customer Services
	South Staffordshire DC Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Scheme. Details of how to apply for a licence to drive a taxi or private hire car.	Taxi Licensing
	South Staffordshire DC Statement of Licensing Policy	Statement of Licensing Policy
	Charging regimes and policies Details of any statutory charging regimes are provided here. Charging policies include charges made for information routinely published for example under Access to Information legislation, and detail what costs are recovered, the basis on which they are made, and how they are calculated.	Taxi Licensing fees
	Contaminated Land Strategy	Contaminated Land Strategy Hard Copies available on request.
Lists and registers	This class only covers information held in current list and registers.
	Register of councillors’ financial and other interests Register of gifts and hospitality	Included within the Constitution.
	Register of planning applications submitted	Public Access Free to view, charge to copy
	Register of planning applications approved	Public Access Free to view, charge to copy
	LocalLandCharges Register	Available to view from the Governance and Scrutiny section
	Details of footpaths within the district	Countryside - General Information
	Licensing Act 2003 register This lists licenses that have been granted under current legislation for events, etc	This is currently only available to view at the Council Offices
	Gambling Act 2005 register This lists events that involve an element of gambling such as lotteries, raffles, totes etc.	This is currently only available to view at the Council Offices
	Hackney/Private Hire register List of current taxi and private hire licenses.	This is currently only available to view at the Council Offices
	Register of Local Authority Air Pollution Prevention and Control Register of industrial processes authorised (after transition permits) by South Staffordshire Council and enforced by the Council	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Register of Part A2 Permitted Processes (Local Authority-Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Register of industrial processes permitted by South Staffordshire Council and enforced by the Council	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Register of Part A1 Permitted Processes (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Register of Permits issued by the Environment Agency for industrial processes including chemical processing within the District. The Register is maintained by the Council and contains details of the process, a copy of the Permit, details of monitoring and enforcement carried out by the Environment Agency.	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	The Council holds a number of registers on behalf of the Environment Agency. These are the Part A1 Register(IPPC-IPC)< the Radioactive Substances Register, and Waste Management Licensing.	These registers are available from the Environment Agency’s website: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/
	Register held under the Notification of Cooling Towers Regulations 1992	Available from Environmental Health (Commercial) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Registration under Radioactive Substances Act 1993 A file of notifications from the Environment Agency for permits for use of radioactive substances within the District	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Public Register of Contaminated Land Register of documents relating to contaminated land within the District established and maintained by the Council	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Public Register of Private Water Supplies. Register of information relating to water supplies to properties from sources other than mains supply.	Available from Environmental Health (General) Services. Free to inspect. Charge to copy
	Register held under Pet Animals Act	Public Pet Shop Register
	Register Held under the Breeding of Dogs Act	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of dog breeding establishments
	Register held under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of animal boarding establishments
	Register held under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of zoo registrations
	Register held under the Riding Establishments Act	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of horse riding establishments
	Register of Licensed Butchers Shops
	Register of Hairdressers	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of hairdressers registrations
	Register of Skin Piercers (acupuncturists,electrolysis,ear piercing and tattooists)	Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of Acupuncture registrations Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of Ear Piercing registrations Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of Electrolysis registrations Excel Spreadsheet: Public index of tattooing registrations
	Listed Building Register Register of buildings in the district that are subject to English Heritage listing for containing features of historical interest.	Available in hard copy. Copying charge of £5 for first sheet, 50p each sheet thereafter.
	Conservation Area Documents Documents pertaining to conservation areas	Available in hard copy. Copying charge of £5 for first sheet, 50p each sheet thereafter.
	Council Tax Valuation Lists	Available from the VOA website, inspection could be arranged via Local Taxation. Free to view. Charge to copy.
	Non-Domestic Property Rating List Rateable values of business premises within the district	Available from the VOA website, inspection could be arranged via Local Taxation. Free to view. Charge to copy.
	Tree Preservation Orders Register of trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders	Need to contact the Council for this information.
	Planning Enforcement Register	Available from Governance and Scrutiny
Services provided by the Council	This section current information about the services the council provides including leaflets, guidance and newsletters. This class is linked with the first class – Who we are and what do we do. While the first section provides information on the council and its departments’ roles and responsibilities, this section includes details of the services the council provides as a result of them. The following is a list of some of the services the council is responsible for and links to the relevant services pages on the website are provided.
	Regulating and licensing responsibilities Services for local businesses Press releases Refuse and Recycling Environmental Health Housing and Council Tax Benefits Council Tax collection Leisure Services Housing Planning(development control) Building control Community safety. If the service you are looking for is not in the list, please look on the Council’s Internet site.	The web site is organised so that if you look at the Home page and click on Your Services there are links to all the Portfolios and Service Areas on the right hand side of the page. Clicking on these will take you to the appropriate area and should provide information on what services are available and how to request them. In addition on the left hand side of the home page there are links to e-forms to request the most frequently required services. If any further information is required please contact the Council on 01902 696000.
	EHC Enforcement Policy	Enforcement Policy
	Food Business Registrations	There are associated charges for copies of this register. At the time of going to press these Are
	Valuation Guidance Advice and guidance on what is required to submit a valid planning application	Hard copy available on request.
	Planning Appeal Decisions	Free to view, charge to copy