Publication Scheme

This Publication Scheme has been prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner.

This Publication Scheme commits the Council to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. The information covered is included in the classes of information mentioned below, where this information is held by the Council.

The 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 classifications below.
• To specify the information which is held by the authority and falls within the classifications below.
• To proactively publish or otherwise make available as a matter of routine, information in line with the statements contained within this 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 this scheme.
• To produce a schedule of any fees charged for access to information which is made proactively available.
• To make this Publication Scheme available to the public.
• To publish any dataset held by the authority that has been requested,and any updated versions it holds, unless the authority is satisfied that
  it is not appropriate to do so; to publish the dataset, where reasonably practicable, in an electronic form that is capable of re-use; and, if any
  information in the dataset is a relevant copyright work and the public authority is the only owner, to make the information available for re-use
  under the terms of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015, if they apply, and otherwise under the terms of the Freedom of
  Information Act section 19.The term 'dataset' is defined in section 11(5) of the Freedom of Information Act. The term 'relevant copyright work' is defined in section19(8) of that Act.

Classes of Information

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

A-Z of Council Services 

Council Constitution

Council Democratic Structure

Council Services

Currently elected Councillors' information and contact details

Gosport Borough Council Election Results 2012

Location and opening times of the Town Hall

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

The Council's Accounts

Which include:

• Capital programme (part of the budget document)
• District Auditors report
• Financial audit reports
• Financial statements and budgets and variance report

Contract information including internal financial regulations

Current Pay Policy statement

Details of contracts and tenders to businesses and to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

Forthcoming tender opportunities

Information about the Council

Details of expenditure over £500

Our Organisation booklet

People Management Strategy

Procurement procedures

Salary information

Staffing Structure

The Members' Allowance Scheme and the amount paid under it to Councillors each year

What our priorities are and how we are doing. 

Plans, Strategies and Standards

Corporate Plan

Annual Monitoring Report

Capital Strategy 

Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership

PUSH South Hampshire Strategy

Project Integra

Gosport Community Safety Partnership

Service Standards:

Building Control Partnership

Democratic Services

Environmental Health

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

which includes: Agendas. officers' reports, background papers and minutes of Council, committee, sub-committee and standing forum meetings.  Major policy proposals and decisions together with facts and analyses of facts considered when framing major policies will be included in the officers' reports to the appropropriate Council meeting.

Timetable of Council meetings

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

Customer Charter

Fees & Charges

Pay Policy Statement

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

Licensing Act 2003 Registers 

Premises Licences, Club Premises Licences and Temporary Event Notices and Personal Licences

Contaminated land - under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990

Registration of Food Premises

These registers are not available online but an appointment to view them can be made by contacting Environmental Health by telephone 023 9254 5505 or by email to ehs@gosport.gov.uk

Planning registers - Planning Register (applications, determined applications and development orders), Enforcement Register (stop and enforcement notices) and Tree Preservation Orders.

These registers are not available online but an appointment to view these registers can be made by contacting Development Control by telephone 023 9254 5462 or by email to planning@gosport.gov.uk

Although the register itself is not online, a wealth of information about planning applications, both current and past, can be obtained by visiting the Planning pages on the website:

Register of councillors' financial and other interests, and gifts and hospitality received

Register of electors

An appointment to view the current Register of Electors can be made by contacting Electoral Services by telephone 023 9254 5227/5218 or by email to electoral.registration@gosport.gov.uk

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

Regulatory and licensing responsibilities:

Licensing

Planning 

Services for local businesses

Information about Council Services: 

Building Control Partnership

Comments, compliments and complaints

Council Tax

Council Tax Benefit

Election Information

Environmental Health Services

Housing Benefit

Housing Services

Information about local events - Gosport Borough Council website

Information for Visitors to Gosport

Leisure Services and Cemetery

Local Council Tax Support (replaces Council Tax Benefit from 1 April 2013)

Local Land Charges

Press Releases

Streetscene

Waste Collection and Recycling

The classes of information will not generally include:

• Information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure.
• Information in draft form.
• Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons.

The method by which information published under this scheme will be made available

The Council will indicate clearly to the public what information is covered by this Scheme and how it can be obtained.

Information will be provided on the Council website.  Where it is impracticable to make information available on the website or when an individual does not wish to access the information by the website, the Council will indicate how information can be obtained by other means and provide it by those means.

In exceptional circumstances some information may be available only by viewing in person.  Where this manner is specified, contact details will be provided. An appointment to view the information will be arranged within a reasonable timescale.

Information will be provided in the language in which it is held or in such other language that is legally required. Where an authority is legally required to translate any information, it will do so.

Obligations under disability and discrimination legislation and any other legislation to provide information in other forms and formats will be adhered to when providing information in accordance with this scheme.

Charges which may be made for Information published under this scheme

The purpose of this scheme is to make the maximum amount of information readily available at minimum inconvenience and cost to the public. Charges made by the Council for routinely published material will be justified and transparent and kept to a minimum.

Material which is published and accessed on a website will be provided free of charge. Charges may be made for information subject to a charging regime specified by Parliament.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

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

Charges may also be made for information provided under this scheme where they are legally authorised, they are in all the circumstances, including the general principles of the right of access to information held by public authorities, justified and are in accordance with a published schedule or schedules of fees which is readily available to the public.

Charges may also be made for making datasets (or parts of datasets) that are relevant copyright works available for re-use. These charges will be in
accordance with the terms of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015, where they apply, or with regulations made under section
11B of the Freedom of Information Act, or with other statutory powers of the public authority.

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Written Requests

Information held by the Council that is not published under this Scheme can be requested in writing, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.