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      We deliver Major Highway Schemes which have been identified through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process

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Home Our information Publication Scheme
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Publication Scheme

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 all public authorities must publish a 'Publication Scheme'.

  • Introduction

  • Who we are and what we do

  • What we spend and how we spend it

  • Contracts

  • Our priorities

  • How we make decisions

  • Our policies and procedures

  • List of registers

  • Services provided by the council

  • Contact

Introduction

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 all public authorities must publish a ‘Publication Scheme’. This is a guide to specific information held by the authority. The model used by Somerset County Council is one that is for ‘principal local authorities’ as defined by the Information Commissioner’ s Office. The model provides for the following classes of information:

Who we are and what we do.
Organisational information, locations and contacts, and constitutional and legal governance.

What we spend and how we spend it.
Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement, and contracts.

What our priorities are and how we are doing.
Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections, and reviews.

How we make decisions.
Policy proposals and decisions, decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, and consultations.

Our policies and procedures.
Current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities.

Lists and registers.
Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers, relating to the functions of the authority.

The services we offer.
Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

These headings are broad and may include a number of different documents. We are not required to publish information where it would be impractical or resource-intensive to prepare this material for routine release.

We aim for as much of this information as possible to be available on our website. We are not required to show the information on our website by the classes or headings of the scheme. The following table will assist you in finding the location of the information you may seek on our website. The links might result in just one document or to a collection of documents.

Where it is impracticable to make information available on our website or where you do not wish to access the information by the web we will inform you how you can obtain it by other means.

Material published and accessed on our website is provided free of charge. Information provided by other means may involve a charge, though we will always strive to ensure these are justifiable and kept to a minimum.

Information held by Somerset County Council that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing, where its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If we feel it would be helpful to publish this information we will add it to our web site.

If you have any comments, queries or complaints about the Publication Scheme, please contact:

The Information Governance Team
Somerset County Council
County Hall
Taunton
TA1 4DY

Phone 01823 357194

Email: informationgovernance@somerset.gov.uk 

Further information about Publication Schemes and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can also be found on the Information Commissioner’ s website.

Who we are and what we do

Definition document headingOur explanation
Council constitutionThis information can be found on the Council’s Constitution page
Council democratic structureThis information can be found on the Council’s Constitution page.
Council structureThe latest structures can be found on our Organisation Charts page.
Further information can also be found in the following section:
Partnerships
Location and opening times of Council propertiesThis information can be found on the contact section of most of our pages. Here are some of our frequently viewed pages:
Council Libraries
Registration Offices
Waste recycling centres (Somerset Waste Partnership)
Some of these pages may include links to relevant information from other councils and organisations in Somerset. Somerset County Council information is indicated by our logo.
Currently elected Councillors’ information and contact detailsThis information can be found on the Your Councillors page.
Contact details for all customer-facing departmentThis information can be found on the Contact us page.
Most recent election resultsThis information can be found on the election results page.
Relationships with other authoritiesThis information can be found on the List of key partnerships page.

What we spend and how we spend it

(Please note: anything with significant financial implications for the council will be subject to a decision by members and, where possible, will be discussed in public.)

Definition document headingOur explanation
Financial statements, budgets and variance reportsThis information can be found in the Our information section.
Capital programmeThe capital investment program is detailed in the Medium Term Financial Plan report found under Information and resources on the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) page.
Financial audit reportsExternal financial audit reports are available under Council Meeting Reports for the Audit Committee, the Audit and Resources Sub-Committee, and the Scrutiny Audit and Best Value Sub-Committee.
The members’ allowances scheme and the allowances paid under it to Councillors each yearThe Members allowances information can be found on our member allowances page.
Staff allowances and expensesPlease submit a Freedom of Information Request if you would like to obtain this information.
Pay and grading structureThis information can be found in the Senior salaries and pay policy section.
Election ExpensesElection expenses are available for public inspection for 2 years from their submission date. Please submit a Freedom of Information Request if you would like to obtain this information.
Procurement proceduressomerset.gov.uk/business-and-economy/do-business-with-the-council/">Contract Opportunities page shows current tendering and contract opportunities in accordance with their contract procedure rules.
Private Equity HoldingsThe Somerset County Council Pension Fund is committed to the highest levels of transparency and meeting our obligations under Freedom of Information.
Over a number of years we have consistently received requests for information specifically relating to the Fund’s private equity holdings. We are now committed to publishing this information here proactively every six months rather than responding to FOI requests.

Contracts

Definition headingOur explanation
Details of contracts being tenderedYou can find the contracts currently being tendered under opportunities on the e-tender portal
List of contracts awarded and their valueInformation is available under Contract Store for Somerset County Council on the e-tender portal
Internal financial regulationsSomerset County Council’s Financial Regulations can be found in The Council’s Constitution under ‘Part 2: Rules and Procedures’. This document is available under Information and Resources on the Council’s Constitution page.
Funding for partnership arrangementsThis information can be found in section 11 of the ‘2012 to 2015 Medium Term Financial Plan’ on the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) page.
Treasury Management StrategyThis information can be found in the papers from this County Council meeting:
Treasury Management Strategy Report
Policy Statement (Appendix A)
Lending Criteria (Appendix B)
Rate Forecast (Appendix C)
Transport Management Practices (Appendix D)
Annual Statement of AccountsThis information can be found on the Budgets and accounts page.

Our priorities

Definition document headingOur explanation
Annual reportsOur performance reports are now produced four times a year (replacing annual reports). This information can be found on the Our Performance page.
Strategies and business plans for services provided by the councilThis information can be found via the below links:
Exmoor National Park Management Plan
Future Transport Plan
Minerals and Waste Policy
The Regeneration Delivery Plan
The Renewable energy strategy can be found on the Energy management page
Rights of Way Improvement Plan
Waste Planning Policy
Strategies developed in partnership with other authoritiesThis information can be found on our partnerships page.
Economic development action planThis information can be found on the Economic information page.
Forward planThis information can be found on the following pages:
County Plan
Cabinet – Forward Plan
Capital strategyThis information can be found on our Budgets and accounts page.
Statistical information produced in accordance with the Council’s and departmental requirementsStatistical information can be found from the Somerset Intelligence Network (SINe). SINe is a network of professionals working for a range of organisations across Somerset, who are specialists in statistics, data, research, consultation or other forms of information gathering.
Impact assessmentsImpact assessments
Service standardsPlease submit a Freedom of Information Request to obtain this information.

 

How we make decisions

Definition document headingOur explanation
Timetable of council meetingsThis information can be found on the Council Meetings page.
Agendas, officers’ reports, background papers and minutes of Council Committee, Sub-Committee and standing forum meetingsThis information can be found on the Council Meetings page.
Major policy proposals and decisionsYou can view major policy proposals and decisions and you can also search for notice of proposed key decisions on the Council Meetings page.
Facts and analysis of facts considered when framing major policiesThis information is included in reports to the County Council, previous Executive Board, Cabinet and other Committees. Details can be found on the Council’s Constitution page.
Public consultationsThis information can be found on the Consultations and engagement page.
Internal communications guidance, criteria used for decision-making, internal instructions, manuals and guidelinesPlease submit a Freedom of Information Request to obtain this information.

Our policies and procedures

Definition document headingOur explanation
Policies and procedures for conducting council businessThis information can be found on the Council’s Constitution page.
Policies and procedures for delivering our servicesThese can be found in each section of our website on service pages. If you cannot find a specific policy please submit a Freedom of Information Request
Policies and procedures about the recruitment and employment of staffThis information can be found on the jobs pages.
Customer serviceThis information can be found on the contact us page.
Records management and personal data policiesThis information can be found on our Privacy Notices.
Charging regimes and policiesSomerset County Council makes a charge for some publications. Details of publications which attract a charge, the cost and details of how to request and pay is provided within the relevant sections of our website:
Somerset Road Safety – Collision Data
Roads and Transport – Road Records

List of registers

Definition document headingOur explanation
Public registers and registers held as public recordsThis information can be found on the Public Registers page.
Asset registers and information asset registerThis information can be found in downloads on the Budget and accounts page.
Disclosure logsThe disclosure log provides information about previous Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations requests submitted to the Council.
Register of Councillors’ financial and other interestsSomerset County Councillors
Register of gifts and hospitalityPlease submit a Freedom of Information Request to obtain this information.
Highways, licensing, planning, commons, footpaths and moreThere is a variety of information in these categories. The links below take you to the Search results page based on that keyword:
Highways
Licensing
Planning
Rights of way
Planning applications

You can view information on the commons register here.
Register of electorsPlease submit a Freedom of Information Request to obtain this information.

Services provided by the council

Definition document headingOur explanation
Regulatory and licensing responsibilitiesInformation that falls under these headings makes up the majority of information available through this website, which serves as our publication scheme. Significant amounts of information can be found on this site using the available search facility.
Information not available on this site may be available under the Freedom of Information Act or the Environmental Information Regulations. In some cases, the Council makes a charge for information and, where this is the case, details will be found in the relevant service section of this site.
Services for local businesses
Services for other organisations
Services for members of the public
Services for which the Council is entitled to recover a fee together with those fees
Information for visitors to the area, leisure information, events, museums, libraries and archive collections
Leaflets, booklets and newsletters
Advice and guidance
Media releases This information can be found on the Somerset Newsroom
Election information This information can be found on the Council Elections page.

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