Retention schedule

6 months retention period 

• All records relating to the administration of the voting process for individual elections including ballot papers
• All records relating to Councillor casual vacancies 

1 year retention period 

• All records relating to a complaint made against a councillor including where there is a complaint.
• All records relating to the compiling and publication of a councillors' directory.
• All records relating to the administration of proxy voting schemes.
• Copy documents relating to the 'Tell us Once' system.
• Information on the different referenda which can take place and legal terms under which they may be carried out.
• All records relating to the administration of postal voting schemes.

18 months retention period

• All records relating to Councillors' declaration of interest. 

2 year retention period

• All records relating to the management of subject access requests under General Data Protection Regulations.

3 year retention period

• All records relating to complaints about services dealt with as business as usual.
• All records relating to the arrangements of public meetings or other means by which citizens can be consulted on budget plans for the forthcoming year.
• All records relating to the publication of spending plans.
• All records relating to the creation of policies to deal with requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
• All records relating to the creation and implementation of policies under General Data Protection Regulations.
• All records relating to the development, implementation and monitoring of equality and diversity policies.
• Youth leadership training.
• All records relating to the development and implementation of information surveys (or information audits).
• All records relating to the Development of a policy on communication with members.
• Records created to develop and implement information audits.
• All records relating to the use of the Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG).

4 year retention period 

• Background papers to reports - Principal Set.
• All records relating to the administration of appointments & membership of committees & working groups.
• All records relating to professional advice to members and the public on democratic services and functions, including advice on the design of committee structures.
• All records relating to the processing of member support requests including: Member training & development.
• All records relating to meeting planning, Cabinet meeting administration & decision recording, & provision of support.

6 year retention period

• All records relating to level 1 complaints.
• Records relating to the processes to support the provision of a complaints process.
• Minutes - Copies for public inspection.
• Principal copy minutes, agendas and reports relating to decisions taken and recommendations made by the local authority and its committees and panels.
• All records relating to management of youth project volunteers.
• Records relating to the provision and management of permanent or transit sites for use by travellers within the area including dealing with unauthorised use of land by traveller communities.
• Records relating to the processes to support the provision and management of permanent or transit sites for use by travellers within the area including dealing with unauthorised use of land by traveller communities.
• All records relating to copyright and intellectual property rights.
• Case files relating to the prosecution of breaches/review of community orders.
• Case files relating to injunction proceedings.
• Case files relating to injunctions under the Town & Country Planning Acts.
• Case files relating to Magistrate's Courts Proceedings.
• All records relating to the administration of Independent Remuneration Panel.
• All records relating to offices staffed by non-political officers to support the authority's elected members (councillors).
• All records relating to the management of the re-use of public sector information.
• All records relating to the submission of reports and responses to Cabinet, Committee and associated working groups.

6 year 6 months retention period

• All records relating to bids made under the Community Right to Bid scheme.

7 year retention period 

• All records relating to the management of Freedom of Information Requests.

10 year retention period 

• All records relating to complaints referred to the Local Government Ombudsman.
• All records relating to the creation of disposal schedules for records disposed of in line with the Lord Chancellor's Code.

Permanent retention period

• Creation of management of the authority's constitution.
• All records relating to community asset transfers.

Other retention periods 

• All records relating to a complaint made against a councillor where the complaint results in a minor sanction against the councillor – length of time sanction is in force.
• All records relating to publication of information from a national census or other surveys relating to the local area – operational use.
• All records relating to the publication of details of local assemblies and committees and the dates and venues for forthcoming meetings – dynamic document constantly updated.
• Records relating to the creation of data privacy impact assessments – until superseded.
• Records relating to the development, implementation of maintenance of the Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) under Article 30 of the GDPR – until superseded.
• All records relating to the creation of a retention schedule for the authority - As the retention schedule is updated a copy should be retained to show what retention periods were at any given time.
• Records relating to the creation and maintenance of a retention schedule – until superseded.
• All records relating to the publication as open linked data of public sector information such that the data can be read and published in a variety of formats and resources - data which is made available is disposed of.
• Records relating to the process of data mapping as part of GDPR – until superseded.