Access to information - publication scheme

It is a duty for parishes, under the Freedom of Information Act, to publish information to the public. This Parish Council adopted the Model Publication Scheme at it's meeting held on 19-11-2008.

We are committed to making information available to the public as part of our normal business activities. The information covered is included in the classes of information mentioned below, where this information is held by the us.

Our scheme for publishing information (either in print or on the web) commits us:

• 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.

Classes of Information

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

Shackerstone Parish Council is responsible for the civil parish of Shackerstone, see Home Page. We meet 6 times a year, alternately at Congerstone Village Hall and Shackerstone Village Hall. Notice of meetings is displayed on the website and on Parish notice boards. We have 6 Parish Councillors and one paid member of staff, the Parish Clerk Miss H Chadwick.

• What we spend and how we spend itFinancial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts.
• What our priorities are and how we are doingStrategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.
• How we make decisionsPolicy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.
• Our policies and proceduresCurrent written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities.
• Lists and registersInformation held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the authority.
• The Services we offerAdvice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

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.

Information Provision

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

Where it is within our capability, information will be provided on this 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, we 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 we are legally required to translate any information, we 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 for Information

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 us 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.

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 us 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.

When historic churchyards have no space available for new burials the Church has a right to close the churchyard and request the civil Parish Council to a)maintain the closed Churchyard and b)provide a new burial ground for the Parish.

In the case of Congerstone and Shackerstone Churches, this stage was reached in 1987. Thanks to the willingness of the Crown Estates to sell strips of agricultural land adjacent to both Churchyards, the Parish Council was able to open two new cemeteries in1993. These cemeteries, whilst adjacent to the Churchyards, are administered separately. As civil burial grounds they were dedicated (not consecrated) by the Assistant Bishop for new burials and are administered by the Parish Council (which is an elected civil authority, not to be confused with the Diocesan Church Council or Parochial Church Council).

The Churches retain responsibility for burials of family members in existing graves in the old churchyards, although it is believed there are only one or two graves to which this may apply.

All new graves must be in the civil cemeteries administered by Shackerstone Parish Council. The first approach must be to the Clerk who will confirm that the deceased person has a right (residence or close connections to the Parish) to be buried there.

The Clerk will then allocate a grave or cremation plot from the Cemetery Plan. Funerals will normally be conducted by funeral directors who will arrange their own gravedigger to attend and open the grave, normally the day before the interment. They will notify the Clerk who will go to the cemetery to mark the grave just before the gravedigger is due to attend. The funeral directors are responsible for re-filling the grave and leaving it in a tidy condition, also for coming to level and grass the grave in due course. Following a burial the funeral directors must return the Green Form to the Parish Council to enable the Clerk to inform the Registrar that the burial has been carried out.

If the family wishes to put up a memorial this must also be first notified to the Clerk who will approve the design and advise the Parish Council's charges.

The Parish Council holds a list of approved gravediggers and no-one who is not on this list is permitted to excavate in the cemeteries.

If the Clerk is not available messages may be left on her voice mail and she will respond as soon as possible. If she is unavailable for longer than 3 days, e.g. on holiday, the cemetery Plan will be left with a Parish Councillor and all Parish Councillors will be notified who to contact for assistance.

(Note: For burials in Barton in the Beans, this Churchyard is still open for new burials and is administered by Barton Fabis Baptist Church.)