Local Government Transparency Code 2015

Overview

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 (‘the Code’) came into effect on 1 April 2015. The Code is issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in exercise of powers under section 2 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, and replaces any previous codes issued in relation to authorities in England under those powers. You can find the full code here

The Code does not replace or supersede the existing framework for access to and re-use of public sector information provided by the:
• Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012)
• Environmental Information Regulations 2004
• Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005
• Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community regulations 2009
• Sections 25 and 26 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 which provides rights for persons to inspect a local authority’s accounting records and supporting documentation, and to make copies of them.

Local Government Transparency Code 2015

Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council complies with the Code where applicable, by publishing the required information on its website.

Information to be published quarterly:

• Expenditure exceeding £100 – Details of all expenditure is listed quarterly. All payments sheets for approval listing all payments made of any amount are on the NCPC website and all approved payments are listed within the Parish Council minutes.
Payments are listed quarterly as follows:
Financial Year 2024-25
Quarter 1 – April, May & June 2024 payments
Financial Year 2023-24
Quarter 4 = January, February & March 2024 payments
Quarter 3 – October, November & December 2023 payments
Quarter 2 – July, August & September 2023 payments
Quarter 1 – April May & June 2023 payments
• Government Procurement Card transactions – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council does not use a GPC.
• Procurement Information – Should any procurement of assets or building over the £5,000.00 threshold be required a separate link to the information will be provided

Information to be published annually:

• Local Authority land – Northaw & Cuffley Council’s Asset Register 2024/25
• Social housing assets – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council does not have any social housing stock.
• Grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations – Details of all grants paid to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations are listed when granted – please see minutes for details of payments
• Organisational chart – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council employs the following staff– Clerk/RFO part time, Office Manager full time, Warde part time and Groundsman part time.
• Trade union facility time – Not applicable.
• Parking account – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council Income 2023/24 from Parking = £148,764.47 and expenditure was £24,665.10.
• Parking spaces – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council has parking areas which are currently used free of charge.
• Senior salaries – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council has no employees earning in excess of £50,000.00.
• Constitution – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council’s constitution is made up of the Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and Code of Conduct (available on our documents page).
• Fraud – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council is not currently handling any fraud enquiries.

Pay Multiple

The code requires that local authorities must publish the pay multiple on their website, defined as the ratio between the highest paid taxable earnings for the given year (including base salary, variable pay, bonuses, allowances and the cash value of any benefits-in-kind) and the median earnings figure of the whole of the authority’s workforce.

The measure must:

• Cover all the elements of remuneration that can be valued
• Use the median earnings figure as the denominator, which should be that of all employees of the local authority on a fixed date each year, coinciding with reporting at the end of the financial year
• Exclude changes in pension benefits, which due to their variety and complexity cannot be accurately included in a pay multiple disclosure.
Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council’s pay multiple as at 31 March 2024 is 1.49
Information to be published once:
• Waste contracts – Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council does not let any waste contracts.

Parish Councillors’ Responsibilities

No councillor has specific responsibilities as all areas of the council’s work are shared. A councillors responsibilities are:
• to raise matters that the council can consider and formally decide to take action about at meetings;
• attend council meetings;
• make informed contributions which influence the debate on business that needs to be decided at those meetings;
• participate in their council’s decision-making process, which in itself is subject to strict rules; and
• represent their council externally.

Minutes and Agendas

The Parish Council’s Agenda is published on the Parish Council’s website at least 3 days before a meeting. Where possible draft minutes are published on the website within 10 days of the council meeting.

End of Year Accounts

After the end of the current Financial year the accounts for year will be published on the Council’s website.
Any report from the Internal Auditor and External Auditor will be published on the Council’s website.
The Council’s Annual Audit return and Annual Governance statement will be published on the Council’s website.