This page contains the following information about the Council's Publication Scheme:
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Hastings Borough Council is responsible for delivering services in a number of key areas under the following portfolios:
Within each of these portfolios there are a number of service areas, each with their own selection of published information.
Published information does not refer solely to printed material, it has been interpreted as broadly as possible to include all information including strategies, policies, reports and other written material.
In drawing up the Publication Scheme we have looked at the Council as a corporate body with its own constitution, internal rules and structure. The Scheme also looks at the Council as a democratic body giving information on your ward, your ward councillor and how to ensure that you are entitled to vote at election time. The priorities of the Council as formulated following consultation with you and reflected in its portfolios and its policies and strategies continue to be available to you through the Publication Scheme. A major aim of the Scheme is transparency and accountability and the decisions of the Council, Cabinet and other committees, subject to confidential and exempt information, remain accessible to you and form an important part of the Scheme. Equally important to you is the delivery of Council services and we have listed these and the information about them available to you under the particular service area.
To help you find the information you are looking for, the scheme is divided into categories. The categories are divided into sub-categories and classes of information. We have also included details of how to get the information and who to contact and if there is a charge for that information. The information available in each Class is that shown in the List of Documents and Information.
In preparing this scheme we have taken account of the types of things that members of the public most commonly ask us about and we have used the outcomes of consultation exercises to identify things that are of most interest.
Information published through the scheme does not include any personal or private information relating to individuals. As an individual you continue to have the protection of the Data Protection Act 1998 and Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998. The Freedom of Information Act itself provides for certain types of information which are exempt from disclosure.
Hastings Borough Council has 32 elected Councillors. In October 2001 the Council adopted a new constitution based on a Leader and Cabinet style model. The Cabinet is made up of up to 10 Councillors who are responsible for making decisions collectively. The Cabinet is regularly asked to take key decisions on matters affecting the Council. The details of the decisions that Cabinet will be asked to make are published in the forward plan of key decisions. As these decisions are taken, the publication scheme will be updated.
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Copies of the Council's Publication Scheme are available for download from our Using the Council's Publication Scheme page on this website, and also from the Hastings Information Centre and the following Council offices:
The Council's Publication Scheme is also available from:
Hastings Library
Claremont
Hastings
This scheme is available in large print and can be made available on audiotape and consideration will be given to translation into different languages on request.
Most of the documents identified within the publication scheme are available on this website. All documents can also be obtained as follows:
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All public authorities, including schools and colleges, health authorities, police and fire authorities are required to produce a publication scheme,.
East Sussex County Council have a responsibility for other Council services in Hastings and St Leonards including Education, Social Services, Highways and libraries. Their publication scheme can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk or contact the Freedom of Information Officer on 01273 482913.
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Except where stated otherwise in the Publication Scheme, the policy of the Council is not to charge for copy information supplied under the Scheme. There are exceptions, particularly in the area of Planning. Whilst this is the Council's general policy there will be occasions when the Council may charge where a number of copies are requested. Where a charge is to be made, you will be advised of what this will be at the time of application. There remains a discretion not to make the charge depending upon the circumstances.
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The Publication Scheme is a living document and will be updated regularly so that the most current information is available to the public. The life of the Scheme is decided by the Information Commissioner when the Scheme is approved. Any major changes or deletions to the approved Scheme would need further approval from the Information Commissioner. However, the Council has decided that it wishes to review the Scheme annually to ensure that the Scheme is as full as possible and meeting the needs of the public.
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If you have a complaint regarding the Council's operation of the Publication Scheme please raise it initially with the Democratic Services Manager (contact details listed below) as the first point of contact in the Council's Corporate Complaints Procedure. The full Complaints Procedure is available on request.
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The Chief Executive, Roy Mawford, has responsibility for the Publication Scheme on behalf of the Council.
For further advice on any matter relating to the Publication Scheme please contact our Committee Administration section.
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This page last updated: 29/03/2007