The Code of Recommended Practice for Local Authorities on Data Transparency
The Local Government Transparency Code came into effect in October 2014, this is a code of recommended practice on data transparency and applies to Parish and Town Councils with a gross income or expenditure more than £200,000.
The Government wants to increase transparency through the publication of open data enabling taxpayers to see how local authorities use public money. Kingswood Town Council provides most of this information already on the website but has taken steps to update this page with either the information required, or provided a link where it is already provided on this website.
Officers Decisions Made Under Delegated Powers
The Town Council will publish details of delegated decisions made in relation to contracts/licences exceeding £15,000. The Council adopted a Scheme of Delegation at its meeting on 12th December 2023. Scheme Of Delegation
Senior Employees
The Town Council is required to publish details of any senior employee salaries, job title and responsibilities for those earning over £50,000 per annum. The town clerk is employed in the pay band of between £45,718 (Spinal Column point 36) and £50,788 (Spinal Column Point 41).
Councillors Allowances and Expenses
The Town Council does not pay Councillors allowances. No Councillors expenses have been claimed to date.
Contracts and Tenders to Businesses and to the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector
All current and live tenders will be shown here.
Internal Control
The Council has appointed Lightatouch to be the Internal Auditor for the Financial Year 2023/24 and 2024/25. This appointment was approved at a full council meeting on 12th December 2023. The letter of engagement can be found here: Lightatouch Letter Of Engagement 2024 2025
The internal audit report for the end of 2023/24 is here: Internal Audit Report Kingswood Town Council April 2023 To March 2024 V2
The interim internal audit report for 2024/25 is here: Item 16 Internal Audit Report Kingswood Town Council April 2024 To September 2024
Grants to the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector
A link to the grants that the town council has made can be found here.
Outcome Of Community Grant Scheme Year End February 2025
There is also a dedicated page to the Community Grant Scheme.
Policies, Performance, External Audits and Key Inspections and Key Indicators
- Kingswood Town Council Standing Orders
- Kingswood Town Council Financial Regulations 2024 V3
- Kingswood Town Council Code Of Conduct
The Location of Public Land and Building Assets
The Parish Council is not currently responsible for any land or property.
Trade Union Facility Time
Total number of staff who are union representatives = None
Total number of union representatives who devote at least 50% of their time to union duties = None
Data of Democratic Running of the Parish Council
The constitution of the Town Council is known as Standing Orders and lays out how the business of the Council is conducted.
Councillors are governed by the Code of Conduct.
Expenditure over £500
A Council is obliged to publish any expenditure over £500, including supplier and transaction information. However the council does not publish the payments it makes to the staff, or associated payments to the pension fund and HMRC, as these payments are confidential. This report is updated quarterly and also all monthly payments are listed at the end of the minutes of each full council meeting.
Expenditure can be found in the link below. This is a list for the payments made in the Financial Year 2024 to 2025
Payments Over 500 List For Website Dec 24
Contracts and Tenders
All available tender opportunities will be published on this page as well as on the contract’s finder service on gov.uk
Community Infrastructure Levy
Introduced in 2010, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a tool for local councils to help raise funds from developers to deliver infrastructure such as new schools, open space or public transport. CIL is charged for certain types of development in the area and commenced on 1 August 2015. CIL is received by the Parish Council a year in arrears.
Kingswood Town Council has been in receipt of CIL, but has yet to spend any of it. This is the annual return to SGC for the year 2022 to 2023
Kingswood Town Parish Council 2022~23 Annual Return Completed
General Power of Competence
Kingswood Town Council has resolved to adopt the General Power of Competence, which was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. The General Power of Competence is intended to give local authorities wider powers and a greater freedom to act to deliver more for their community. The power gives local councils an enhanced role to allow them to do the things that previously they would have been unable to do under existing powers for town and parish councils. Councils with the General Power of Confidence are able to rely on this single power to make decisions and deliver services and projects, whereas without the power they would have to rely on specific legilslation.
Kingswood Town Council is qualified to use this power as 12 of the 15 councillors were elected unopposed at the election in May 2023, the council has a clerk with the relevant qualifications, and the council resolved to adopt the General Power of Competence at its meeting on 12 December 2023.
Data Protection
Kingswood Town Council is registered with the Information Commissioners’ Office and the certificate of registration can be found here
Insurance
Kingswood Town Council has its insurance policy with Zurich Municipal and its certificate of public liability insurance (£10 million) can be found here
