Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme

What if I am not satisfied?

If you are not satisfied with the way the Council has handled your request, any fee charged for the information, or the reasons given for refusing to provide certain information, you have the right to appeal. In the first instance, you should contact the:

Council's Complaints Co-ordinator
01276 707100
complaints@surreyheath.gov.uk
or write to the

Co-ordinator
Surrey Heath Borough Council
Surrey Heath House
Knoll Road
Camberley
Surrey GU15 3HD

Downloads
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Alphabetical index of classes
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Records Management Policy & Procedures
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Record Retention & Disposal Schedule
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Guide to the Publication Scheme

A guide to the categories of information available from the Council published in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000

What is a Publication Scheme?
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Council to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information and whether a charge will be made for the information. It is not a list of all the publications produced or held by the Council. It is intended as a directory of the "classes", groups or categories of information routinely available to the public and how to obtain further information. It is important to note, however, that whilst Surrey Heath Borough Council holds and makes available literature produced by other organisations such as charities and central government, the Council does not publish it and its availability will be outside the Council's control.

Does the Scheme cover Personal Information?
The scheme does not cover personal information held by the Council. Access to such information is governed by the Data Protection Act 1998. Requests for such information will be co-ordinated by the Council's Data Protection Officer.

What if the information is not covered by the Scheme?
From January 2005, the Freedom of Information Act will allow you to contact the Council in writing and request information including as detailed a description of the information or documents you require as possible, how you would like the information conveyed to you (i.e. over the phone, by post or by email), your name and contact details (including telephone number and email address if this is how you wish the information provided).

The Council will be required to provide the information within 20 working days of receipt of your request and may charge a fee calculated in accordance with government regulations. However, in some cases, it may not be possible to provide the information within 20 working days. In these circumstances, you will be given within 20 working days a timescale as to when the information can be provided or notified that the Council is considering whether an exemption may apply.

Further information on the Act can be found on the Information Commissioner's website www.ico.gov.uk or the website for Department for Constitutional Affairs http://www.dca.gov.uk.

Functions of the Borough Council
Surrey Heath Borough Council is one of many organisations providing services for people who live in, work in or visit the Borough. The Council is in an area of two-tier local Government, which means that there is a County Council. In general terms, Surrey County Council is responsible for education, social services, libraries, consumer protection, roads and transport. Any enquiries on services provided by the County Council should be directed to the County Council's Contact Centre on (08456) 009009, the Surrey County Council website.

Surrey Heath Borough Council is responsible for refuse collection, street cleansing, parks and open spaces, several leisure venues including a museum, housing advice (although the Council no longer maintains a housing stock), planning policy and conservation, building and development control and enforcement, environmental health, council tax collection, council tax and housing benefits, electoral registration, land charges, licensing and car parks.

How do I obtain information through this Publication Scheme?
The scheme is intended as a directory of the "classes", groups or categories of information routinely available to the public and how to obtain further information. It is not a list of all the publications produced or held by the Council. The categories of information have been chosen on the basis of services most commonly called for and used by the public. Consideration has also been given to cross-referencing topics. For ease of reference, this document has been paginated and the classes of information have been listed alphabetically.

A significant amount of information is available on the Council's website, including an A to Z of Council services. If you do not have access to the internet or the information is not available through the Council's website, the Council's contact number for information is 01276 707100 or Fax to 01276 707177. The Council's venues may be contacted directly on the following numbers / emails: -

The Camberley Theatre	01276 707600	camberley.theatre@surreyheath.gov.uk
The Museum	01276 707282	museum@surreyheath.gov.uk
Arena Leisure Centre	01276 417111	enquiries@arenaleisurecentre.co.uk
Tomlinscote Dual-Use Centre	01276 670316	enquiries@tomlinscotesportscentre.co.uk

Will I be charged for the Information?
The majority of information produced by the Council is available free of charge. Payment for documents for which a charge is made will normally be requested in advance and details about how to pay will be supplied when you request the information. View the Council's Budget Book which lists the fees and charges for its services.

Exempt Information
Some of the material contained within a class/category may be derived from documents which the Council considers contains exempt information as defined in the Freedom of Information Act or that the Council is prohibited from releasing by other legislation. Where this occurs, the material will indicate that information has been withheld and explain what exemption has been applied and why.

Who is responsible for the Publication Scheme?
The Council's Head of Legal & Support Services has overall responsibility for the Scheme, whilst the Council's Data Protection Officer, Mrs L I Dolan, has responsibility for maintaining it on a day-to day basis. If you have any questions about the scheme or wish to provide feedback, such as on improvements that could be made to it, please contact Mrs Dolan on 01276 707342 alternatively e-mail lesley.dolan@surreyheath.gov.uk.

What if I am not satisfied?
If you are not satisfied with the way the Council has handled your request, any fee charged for the information, or the reasons given for refusing to provide certain information, you have the right to appeal. In the first instance, you should contact the Council's Complaints Co-ordinator (01276) 707100, email complaints@surreyheath.gov.uk or write to the Co-ordinator at:

Surrey Heath Borough Council
Surrey Heath House,
Knoll Road,
Camberley,
Surrey,
GU15 3HD

If, having followed the Council's complaints procedure, you are still not satisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is completely independent of the Council, by writing to the following address:

The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Please Note
The Publication Scheme is currently being reviewed in the light of organisational changes taking place and there may be subsequent changes to the Classes/Categories of Information in the Alphabetical Index. However the Contact details in this Index have been revised and are currently up to date.