What Councils Should Publish on their Website

Understanding Transparency Publishing Requirements for Parish & Town Councils

Local governance transparency is paramount. For parish and town councils in England, adherence to the Transparency Code 2015 and the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities ensures that councils operate openly, allowing all members of the community to stay informed and engaged. These codes lay out specific requirements regarding what must be published on council websites to maintain transparency.

The Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities

These requirements are aimed at smaller councils with an annual turnover not exceeding £25,000. These councils must publish:

1. All Items of Expenditure: Details of all individual items of expenditure over £100, including date incurred, beneficiary, amount, and a brief description.
2. End of Year Accounts: Annual accounts prepared in accordance with proper practices, including a copy of the bank reconciliation for the relevant financial year and an explanation of significant variances.
3. Annual Governance Statement: The annual governance statement for the relevant financial year, published with the end of year accounts (AGAR).
4. Internal Audit Report: Internal audit report covering the council’s accounting records.
5. List of Councillor Responsibilities: A list of councillor or member responsibilities and their Register of Interest (ROIs).
6. Location of Public Land and Building Assets: Details of all public land and building assets, including address and usage.
7. Minutes, Agendas, and Meeting Papers: Draft minutes of all council and committee meetings within one month of the meeting, agendas and associated meeting papers no later than three clear days before the meeting. There is no requirement for a set number of years of historical meeting documents to be published on the website – only that the council must retain all of them in its records. It is recommended to have two years of rolling minutes so as to span at least one whole financial year.
8. All ratified policies, including an Accessibility Statement and Privacy Policy.

The Transparency Code 2015 for Larger Authorities

The Transparency Code 2015 applies to larger parish and town councils with an annual turnover exceeding £200,000 but not more than £6.5 million. Here’s a breakdown of the key documents and information these councils must publish on their websites in addition to the items above:

1. Expenditure Over £500: Details of all individual items of expenditure over £500, including costs, supplier details, and a brief description of the goods or services purchased.
2. Government Procurement Card Transactions: Information on all transactions made using a government procurement card.
3. Procurement Information: Invitations to tender for contracts to provide goods and services with a value that exceeds £5,000, along with details of contracts, including contract value, length, and the identification of the supplier.
4. Local Authority Land: Details of all land and building assets, including address, usage, tenure, and any vacant properties.
5. Social Housing Assets: Information on the value of social housing stock held by the council.
6. Grants to Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Organisations: Information about grants to these organisations, including the date, amount, and purpose of the grant.
7. Organisation Chart: An organisation chart covering staff in the top three levels of the council, including grade, job title, and responsibilities.
8. Trade Union Facility Time: Information on the number of staff who are union representatives, the number of union representatives, and an estimate of spending on unions.
9. Parking Account: Details of income and expenditure on the council’s parking account, including revenue collected from on-street and off-street parking.
10. Parking Spaces: Number of marked out controlled on- and off-street parking spaces.
11. Senior Salaries: Salaries of senior employees earning £50,000 or more.
12. Constitution: The constitution of the council, if available.
13. Pay Multiple: The pay multiple, defined as the ratio between the highest paid salary and the median salary of the whole authority’s workforce.
14. Fraud: Information about the council’s counter-fraud work.

Ensuring Compliance

For parish and town councils, ensuring compliance with these transparency codes is crucial. Not only does it foster trust and engagement within the community, but it also aligns with legal obligations. By regularly updating their websites with the required information, councils can provide clarity and accountability, ultimately enhancing the democratic process at the local level.

In conclusion, both the Transparency Code 2015 and the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities mandate comprehensive publication of financial, procedural, and governance information. Parish and town councils must embrace these guidelines to ensure that their operations remain transparent, accountable, and open to public scrutiny.