Local Government Transparency Code 2015

The local government transparency code is issued to meet the Government’s desire to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability. It is designed to make it easier for local people to contribute to the local decision making process and help shape public services.

Click here for a full copy of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015

Click here for a full copy of the ICO’s Model Publication Scheme

The data on this page is published under The Open Government Licence. This is a free open licence for public sector bodies to license the use and re-use of their information and data easily. If you are intending to use or re-use any of our data please note the conditions of the licence.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in February 2015. The Code sets out key principles for local authorities in creating greater transparency through the publication of public data.

Definitions

In the Local Government Transparency Code:  “local authority” means:

  • a county council in England
  • a district council
  • a parish council which has gross annual income or expenditure (whichever is the higher) exceeding £200,000
  • a London borough council

Part 2 of the Code is recommended practice for parish councils whose gross annual income or expenditure (whichever is the higher) does not exceed £6.5 million.

There are seven classes of information which must be made available to the public.

Class 1
What is the Council and what does it do?

  1. Names of Councillors and responsibilities
  2. About the Council and its structure
  3. Location and contact details
  4. Constitutional governance
  5. Legal governance – Local Government Act 1972 / Localism Act 2011 / Data Protection Act 2018 / Town and Country Planning Act 1990 / Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 / Transparency Code 2015 / Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 / Open Spaces Act 1906 / Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 / Allotments Act 1950 / Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 / Highways Act 1980 / Public Health Act 1875 / Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 / Employment Rights Act 1996 / Equality Act 2010 / Local Government Finance Act 1992

Class 2
What does the council spend and how does it spend it?

  1. Annual Accountability and Governance Return (AGAR) – Financial Reports
  2. Internal Audit Reports – Financial Reports
  3. Budget and Precept – Financial Reports
  4. Councillor Allowances – Morecambe Town Council does not provide allowances to members.
  5. Loans sanctioned – Morecambe Town Council has not applied for any loans.
  6. Financial Regulations and Standing Orders
  7. Invitations to Tender – Morecambe Town Council has no active contracts awarded by tender.

Class 3
What are the Council’s priorities and how does it measure its progress?

  1. Strategic Community Action Plan (adopted 2021)
  2. Neighbourhood Plan

Class 4
How does the council make decisions?

  1. Agendas and Minutes
  2. Responses to planning applications – Planning Committee
  3. Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Policies
  4. Councillors’ Register of Interests 
  5. The Council also facilitates periodic consultation exercises with the community.

Class 5

What written protocols are used to deliver the Council’s functions and responsibilities?

Class 6
Lists and Registers

  1. Asset Register
  2. Register of Gifts and Hospitality – none recorded in FY2021, FY2122, FY2223, FY2324
  3. Councillors’ Register of Interests 

Class 7

What services do we offer?

  1. Allotments
  2. Burial Grounds – Not applicable
  3. Community centre and village halls – Not applicable
  4. Open Spaces
  5. Highways – Not applicable
  6. Byelaws – Not applicable
  7. Litter Bins – Not applicable
  8. Bus Shelters – Not applicable
  9. Festivals and Events
  10. Community Grants

The seven classes of information above, do not include:

  1. information that the council is prevented from disclosing by law
  2. information exempt under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
  3. Information in draft form

If a council does not hold the type of information in one of the classes, it will not be in breach of any statutory obligations under the 2000 Act.

Ensuring that the public can access information is of the upmost importance to the Council. The council’s publication scheme confirms how the information in the seven classes can be accessed and if there is a charge.

Information to be published quarterly:

  1. Government Procurement Card transactions – Not applicable
  2. Card Transactions – Not applicable
  3. Procurement Information – invitations to tender for contracts to provide goods and/or services with a value that exceeds £5,000
  4. List of payments in excess of £500
  5. Record of Officer Decisions (Regulation 7 – The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014)

Information to be published annually:

  1. Local Authority Land Register – see Asset Register
  2. Grants Awarded – beneficiary, registration, purpose, amount, authorisation, and time period – see Community Grants and Festivals, Sponsorships and Events Grants
  3. Organisational Structure
  4. Staff Structure
  5. Trade Union facility time – Not applicable
  6. Parking Revenues – Not applicable
  7. Controlled Parking spaces – Not applicable
  8. Salaries – the Council’s officers, including the Chief Officer, are employed under the nationally agreed Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) terms and conditions. Pay increases relating to cost of living are agreed nationally by the NJC and JNC negotiating bodies. The Council must publish annually the number of employees whose remuneration in that year was at least £50,000. The Council has one employee (its Chief Officer) whose remuneration is within the SCP 46-49 bracket. This bracket falls into a pay grade which currently starts from £28.76 per hour, up to £30.88 per hour (FY2324 – £58,000-£63,000). The Council’s statutory Chief Officer is remunerated in accordance with their technical expertise and experience. The terms of service of all posts are governed by the National Joint Council for Local Government National Agreement on Terms and Conditions of Service (the NJC Green Book). No bonuses are offered to any employee. The responsibilities of the Chief Officer (Proper Officer and RFO) can be found in the Council’s Standing Orders.
  9. Constitution
  10. Waste Contracts – Not applicable
  11. The Council’s Pay Multiple (defined as the ratio between the highest paid taxable earnings for the given year and the median earnings figure of the whole of the authority’s workforce) as at 1 April 2024 is 1:1.91

Morecambe Town Council’s Data Protection Policy