Our Approach to Communication
Babergh District Council’s approach to the Freedom of Information legislation is to see it as an extension to the Council’s own positive approach to sharing information and communications with the public it serves.
The Council’s values and priorities include;
- Open and accountable decision making,
- Active citizenship.
Freedom of Information will support and enhance the Council’s existing internal Communications Strategy and Good Communications Guide. The Council is also working towards an Information Strategy to promote good external and internal communications. The new technology and e-government agenda will also promote greater opportunity for information flow.
Any Information/Publication/Communication Scheme produced after the Freedom of Information Act must meet any statutory or governmental requirements and have regard to all existing regulation of information sharing, including the Data Protection Act 1998, access to information under the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
Where possible links have been made to information available on the website. This information is not exhaustive and further details are available from Babergh District Council using the contact details.
Information available to the public
- Democratic Services,
- Corporate Issues,
- Financial Information,
- Local Taxation, Benefits, Revenues,
- Council Services,
- Personnel Information,
- Business and Economic Development,
- Planning,
- Environment and Health,
- Waste Management,
- Housing,
- Charges.
- Information required by statute to be available to the public for the holding of elections (Electoral Information).
- The Council's Constitution (Committee Information).
- Notices of, agendas for reports to and minutes of meetings of Councillors open to the public (comprising the including the Council, the Strategy Committee, the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Development Committee and such other meetings as the Council may hold in open access form). (Council and Committee Papers).
- Contact details for Councillors (A-Z of Councillors). Information on their role and details of appointments to other bodies by the Council and for certain Councillors (particularly the Chairman) details of public engagements.
- Scheme of Allowances for Members (PDF, 120kb).
- Register of Members’ Interests (PDF, 95kb).
- Code of Conduct for Members (PDF, 141kb).
- Details of the Standards Board’s role in connection with Members.
Contact Details
Electoral registration/Elections – electoral@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825891
Constitution/Meetings etc committees@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825876
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- Information relating to or comprising policies, strategies or statements adopted by the Council for the performance of its functions to and on behalf of the public.
- Statistics and other material maintained by the Council under statutory requirements for the information of the public relating to the delivery of services (including performance indicators and best value or other internal assessment reports which are open to public view).
- Details of the Council’s complaints scheme procedure.
- Details of the Local Government Ombudsman service and how to access the service.
Contact Details
Comments@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825811
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- The Council’s Statement of Accounts.
- The Approved Budget approved by Members for expenditure (including plans for capital investment, general services and housing.
- Schemes and procedures for applying for grants and other financial assistance which Babergh may have made available to community organisations (and in some cases businesses) for projects such as new village halls or sports facilities in accordance with the Council’s approved arrangements (including for this purpose small business loans).
- Current fees and charges (including licensing and waste disposal) for Council services.
Contact Details
Peter Brown peter.brown@babergh.gov.uk or Tel 01473 825816
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Local Taxation/Benefits/Revenues
- General information relating to Council Tax charges (including precepts, County Council element property bands, discounts and exemptions).
- General information on Housing and Council Tax Benefit, rent charged for Babergh’s Council houses, and Business rates.
- A list of authorised recovery officers for Council Tax, Business Rates, rent and Housing/Council Tax Benefits overpayments.
Contact Details
customerservices@babergh.gov.uk or Tel 01473 825798
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- Lists of services (A - Z of Services) the Council provides to the public supplemented by specific service statements together with appropriate contact officers.
- Press releases (News) about a particular service.
- Current charges for a service, where relevant.
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- Information regarding current staff numbers and general material as to the contract terms and conditions under which the Council employs its staff. No information is to be provided about particular members of staff or other individuals.
- Information as to the arrangements for advertising for the recruitment of new staff, pay scales, car and other allowance schemes, health and welfare provision and training schemes operated by the Council.
- Various Personnel policies.
Contact Details
jobs@babergh.gov.uk or Tel 01473 826622
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Business and Economic Development
- Information which is not commercially sensitive concerning the promotion and encouragement of business and commerce within the Babergh area (including information about details held by the Council about business opportunities and property availability).
- Information which is not commercially sensitive relating to the promotion of tourism opportunities in the Babergh area).
- Details of the services provided by the Tourist Information Centres in Babergh.
Contact Details
Tourism - Karina Coghlin karina.coglin@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825846
Economic Development - ecodev@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825868
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- The strategic planning policies for the Babergh area and specific policies (including the Local Plan and Supplementary Planning Guidance) issued by Babergh. Information on how to access national planning policies and guidance.
- Planning Information about the development control application procedure operated by Babergh (including applications for advertisements and listed buildings). This will include the timescales for the availability of certain documentation and the cost of providing copies of certain documents.
- Information relating to building control procedures for applicants.
Contact Details
Planning - planning.reception@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 825858
Building Control - building.control@babergh.gov.uk 01473 825853.
Planning Policy – 01473 825881
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- Information on Babergh's public activities in promoting a safe and healthy environment, together with contact officers.
- Specific information on Council policies relating to nuisances such as noise and dog fouling, where such policies exist and contact officers for such topics.
- Information on Babergh's policies and processes publicised advice relating to the safe use and handling of food (food safety) and contact officers.
- Information on Babergh's role policies in relation to the promotion of good health and contact officers.
- Babergh's countryside policies and contact officers.
- Babergh's leisure policies (and activities) and contact officers.
Contact Details
Commercial Properties – healthandsafety@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825890
Residential Properties – privatesectorhousing@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825890
Countryside – countryside@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825707
Leisure – leisure@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 826616
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Waste Management
Contact Details
waste@babergh.gov.uk Tel 01473 825890
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- Council’s policies in relation to housing, the implementation of homelessness legislation, the operation of the housing waiting list.
- Details of the Community Ranger Scheme and contact officers.
- Public details of other sources of advice in relation to housing issues.
Contact Details
Repairs – HrepairsHrepairs@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825757
Affordable Housing - ian.tippet@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825847
Housing Support and Homelessness - homelessness@babergh.gov.uk Tel: 01473 825845
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Charges may be made for certain information under other statutory authority.
If the cost of complying with a request will be below £450 we will only charge for disbursments (e.g. photocopying, postage etc.) If the cost of assembling the information which is available will exceed £450 (on the basis of at least 18 hours of admin time collating the information at the rate of £25 per hour being the rate set out in the fees guidelines issued by the Department of Consitutional Affairs). In accordance with Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Council is not obliged to provide you with information which will cost more that £450 to gather. The list of charges for services is published under this scheme (see sections 3 and 5) but applicants need to confirm the exact situation regarding any requests not covered by the list of charges.
We will endeavour to provide the Information in a way to suit the applicant (eg. e-mail website details, hard copy) but this may not always be possible.
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