Policies and Procedures

Document Retention & Disposal Policy

Revision	1.2
ADOPTED	November 2022
Last Reviewed	May 2024
Review period	Bi-annually

DOCUMENT CONTROL: Rev 1.2 Reviewed May 2023. Adopted without changes.

DOCUMENT CONTROL: Rev 1.2 Reviewed May 2024. Adopted without changes.

Hemswell Parish Council

DOCUMENT RETENTION AND DISPOSAL POLICY

Introduction

1. Scope

2. Responsibilities

3. Document Disposal Protocol

4. Retention Schedule

Introduction

Hemswell Parish Council (PC) gathers, processes and stores information and data from its parish and business activities, including data obtained from individuals and external organisations. This information is collected and recorded in various formats adhering to current Data Protection Guidance.

Records created and maintained by the PC are an important asset, and measures are needed to safeguard and preserve this information. Properly managed records provide authentic and reliable evidence of the Parish Council’s transactions and demonstrate accountability.

1. Scope

This policy applies to all records created, received or maintained by Hemswell Parish Council in the course of undertaking its functions. Records are defined as any documents which facilitate the business carried out by the PC and which are retained (for a set period) as evidence of its transactions or activities.

A Retention Schedule is a list of records that Hemswell Parish Council must keep for a specific length of time. It identifies records that may be worth preserving permanently as part of a local authority archive and prevents the premature destruction of records that need to be retained for a specific legal, financial, or statutory period.

This Schedule specifies the retention periods for records created and maintained by the PC, many of which are determined by Statute and refer to all information regardless of the media in which it is stored. For example, documents may be retained in either ‘hard’ paper form or in electronic forms. For the purpose of this policy, ‘document’ and ‘record’ refers to both hard copy and electronic records.

The Schedule details the function of each record, the type of records that fall within this function and the length of time the PC should hold the record before disposal or archiving. All data and records (both active and archived) will be stored with appropriate security requirements and in the most convenient and appropriate location. The level of security required for file storage reflects the sensitivity and confidential nature of the recorded material.

Records should not be held longer than necessary and timely disposal of certain documents ensures compliance with the current data protection regulations. This also enables efficient use of limited storage space.

2. Responsibilities

Hemswell Parish Council has a corporate responsibility to maintain its records and record management systems. The person responsible for this policy is the Data Protection Officer (DPO). The DPO advises the PC on records management to ensure information can be easily retrieved within an appropriate time frame.

Records of each activity should be accurate and complete to allow staff and their successors to take appropriate actions to:

Facilitate an audit or examination of the business by anyone so authorised.
Protect the legal and other rights of the Parish Council and any other persons affected by its actions.
Provide authenticity of the records so that the evidence derived from them is shown to be credible and authoritative.

Staff and Councillors must ensure that any records for which they are responsible are accurate and are maintained and disposed of following the Retention Schedule. Records may be created and stored in hard copy format or electronically on personal computers subject to related PC policies, namely Communication, Media and Social Media Policies. If a Councillor considers documents important in the context of the PC’s records, they should ensure that a copy is retained for the official record.

3. Document Disposal Protocol

Documents should only be disposed of once reviewed in accordance with the following:

Is retention required to fulfil statutory or other regulatory requirements?
Is retention required to meet the operational needs of the service?
Is retention required to evidence events in the case of dispute?
Is retention required because the document or record is of historical interest or intrinsic value?

When documents are scheduled for disposal, the method of disposal should be appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the documents concerned, which may include any of the following:

Non-confidential records: place in waste paper bin for disposal.
Confidential records: shred documents.
Deletion of computer records.
Transfer of records to an external body such as the County Records Office.

Records should be maintained of appropriate disposals and should contain the following information:

The title of the document destroyed.
The date the document was destroyed.

The method of disposal.

4. Retention Schedule

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
Administrative
Minutes of Parish Council meetings & AGMs	Indefinite	Archive	Original signed paper copies of Council minutes of meetings must be kept indefinitely in safe storage. At regular intervals of not more than 10 years they must be archived and deposited.
Minutes of committee meetings	Indefinite	Archive
Correspondence, papers and emails on important local issues or activities	Indefinite	Archive
Routine correspondence, papers and emails	1 year	Management	Confidential waste (shred)
Correspondence and Reports	1 year or as long as it is relevant	Management	Bin/confidential waste (shred)
Planning applications and related papers for major controversial developments	Until there is no longer an administrative requirement	Management	Bin
Planning applications for minor works where permission is refused	3 years	Management	Bin
Employment
Staff employment contracts	6 years after ceasing employment	Management	Confidential waste (shred)
Staff payroll information	3 years	Management
Staff references	6 years after ceasing employment	Management
Application forms (interviewed – unsuccessful)	6 months	Management
Application forms (interviewed – successful)	6 years after ceasing employment	Management
Disciplinary files	6 years after ceasing employment	Management
Staff appraisals	6 years after ceasing employment	Management
Finance
Annual Return and Audited Accounts	Indefinite	Archive	Original copies must be kept indefinitely in safe storage. At regular intervals of not more than 10 years they must be archived and deposited.
AGAR Reports	Indefinite	Archive
Correspondence relating to Audit	3 years	Management	Confidential waste (shred)
Scales of fees and charges	6 years	Management
Receipt and payment accounts	6 years	VAT
Bank statements	Last completed audit year	Audit
Cheque & Paying in stubs	Last completed audit year	Audit
Paid invoices	Last completed audit year	VAT
Paid cheques	Last completed audit year	Limitation Act 1980
Payroll records, Salary, Tax & NI	3 years	HMRC

Petty cash accounts	Last completed audit year	Audit
Budget Control Papers	3 years	Audit
Precept Correspondence	3 years	Audit
Awarded Contracts	6 years	Limitation Act 1980
Asset Register	Indefinite	Audit	Original copies must be kept indefinitely in safe storage.
Insurance
Insurance policies	8 years after policy end	Management	Electronic copies held securely. Paper copies treat as confidential waste (shred)
Certificates for Insurance against liability for employees	8 years after policy end	Management
Certificates for Public Liability	8 years after policy end	Management
Insurance claim records	8 years after policy end	Management
Burial Records
Register of fees collected	Indefinite	Archives, Local Authoriites Cemetries Order 1977 (SI204)	Original copies must be kept indefinitely in safe storage. At regular intervals of not more than 10 years they must be archived and deposited.
Register of burials
Register of purchased graves
Register/plan of grave spaces
Register of memorials
Applications for interment
Applications for right to erect memorials
Disposal certificates
Copy certificates of grant of exclusive right of burial
Health and Safety
Accident books	3 years from date of last entry	Statutory	Confidential waste (shred)
Risk assessment	3 years	Management	Confidential waste (shred)
General Management
Councillors' personal details	Duration of membership	Management	Confidential waste (shred) Original copies must be kept indefinitely in safe storage. At regular intervals of not more than 10 years they must be archived and deposited.
Consent forms	Term of office plus 1 year	Management
Declarations of Acceptance	Term of office plus 1 year	Management
Register of Members Interests	2 years after individual ceases to be a member	Management
GDPR Security Compliance Form	Duration of membership	Management
Complaints	2 years after closure	Management
Lease agreements	12 years	Limitation Act 1980
Title deeds/land holding documents	Indefinite	Management
Trust Deeds	Indefinite	Management

Related Policies

This policy has been drawn up with other legislation or regulations (including audit and Statute of Limitations) affecting the Hemswell Parish Council Document Retention and Disposal Policy. Regular review, update and amendments to this policy shall be made (where appropriate), and at least every three years in accordance with the Code of Practice on the Management of Records issued by the Lord Chancellor.