Policies & Procedures – Scotter Parish Council

Appendix A: List of Documents for Retention or Disposal

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
Minutes	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 5 years they must be archived and deposited with the Higher Authority
Agendas	5 years	Management	Bin (shred confidential waste)
Accident/incident reports	20 years	Potential claims	Confidential waste A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Scales of fees and charges	6 years	Management	Bin
Receipt and payment accounts	Indefinite	Archive	N/A
Receipt books of all kinds	6 years	VAT	Bin
Bank statements including deposit/savings accounts	Last completed audit year	Audit	Confidential waste
Bank paying-in books	Last completed audit year	Audit	Confidential waste
Cheque book stubs	Last completed audit year	Audit	Confidential waste
Quotations and tenders	6 years	Limitation Act 1980 (as amended)	Confidential waste A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Paid invoices	6 years	VAT	Confidential waste
Paid cheques	6 years	Limitation Act 1980 (as amended)	Confidential waste

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
VAT records	6 years generally but 20 years for VAT on rents	VAT	Confidential waste
Petty cash, postage and telephone books	6 years	Tax, VAT, Limitation Act 1980 (as amended)	Confidential waste
Timesheets	Last completed audit year 3 years	Audit (requirement) Personal injury (best practice)	Bin
Wages books/payroll	6 years	Superannuation	Confidential waste
Insurance policies	While valid (but see next two items below)	Management	Bin
Insurance company names and policy numbers	Indefinite	Management	N/A
Certificates for insurance against liability for employees	40 years from date on which insurance commenced or was renewed	The Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998 (SI 2753) Management	Bin
Town Park equipment inspection reports	21 years
Investments	Indefinite	Audit, Management	N/A
Title deeds, leases, agreements, contracts	Indefinite	Audit, Management	N/A
Members’ allowances register	6 years	Tax, Limitation Act 1980 (as amended)	Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Information from other bodies e.g. circulars from county associations, NALC, principal authorities	Retained for as long as it is useful and relevant		Bin
Local/historical information	Indefinite – to be securely kept for benefit of the Parish	Councils may acquire records of local interest and accept gifts or records of general and local interest in order to promote the	N/A

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
		use for such records (defined as materials in written or other form setting out facts or events or otherwise recording information).
Magazines and journals	Council may wish to keep its own publications For others retain for as long as they are useful and relevant.	The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) requires a local council which after 1st February 2004 has published works in print (this includes a pamphlet, magazine or newspaper, a map, plan, chart or table) to deliver, at its own expense, a copy of them to the British Library Board (which manages and controls the British Library). Printed works as defined by the 2003 Act published by a local council therefore constitute materials which the British Library holds.	Bin if applicable
Record-keeping
To ensure records are easily accessible it is necessary to comply with the following: A list of files stored in cabinets will be kept Electronic files will be saved using relevant file names	The electronic files will be backed up periodically on a portable hard drive and also in the cloud-based programme supplied by the Council’s IT company.	Management	Documentation no longer required will be disposed of, ensuring any confidential documents are destroyed as confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
General correspondence	Unless it relates to specific categories outlined in the policy, correspondence, both paper and electronic, should be kept. Records should be kept for as long as they are needed for reference or accountability purposes, to comply with regulatory requirements or to protect legal and other rights and interests.	Management	Bin (shred confidential waste) A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Correspondence relating to staff	If related to Audit, see relevant sections above. Should be kept securely and personal data in relation to staff should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purpose it was held. Likely time limits for tribunal claims between 3–6 months Recommend this period be for 3 years	After an employment relationship has ended, a council may need to retain and access staff records for former staff for the purpose of giving references, payment of tax, national insurance contributions and pensions, and in respect of any related legal claims made against the council.	Confidential waste A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Documents from legal matters, negligence and other torts Most legal proceedings are governed by the Limitation Act 1980 (as amended). The 1980 Act provides that legal claims may not be commenced after a specified period. Where the limitation periods are longer than other periods specified the documentation should be kept for the longer period specified. Some types of legal proceedings may fall within two or more categories.

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
If in doubt, keep for the longest of the three limitation periods.
Negligence	6 years		Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Defamation	1 year		Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Contract	6 years		Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Leases	12 years		Confidential waste.
Sums recoverable by statute	6 years		Confidential waste.
Personal injury	3 years		Confidential waste.
To recover land	12 years		Confidential waste.
Rent	6 years		Confidential waste.
Breach of trust	None		Confidential waste.
Trust deeds	Indefinite		N/A

Document	Minimum Retention Period	Reason	Disposal
Event Monitoring Forms	6 years unless required for claims, insurance or legal purposes	Management	Bin. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
For Allotments
Register and plans	Indefinite	Audit, Management	N/A
Minutes	Indefinite	Audit, Management	N/A
Legal papers	Indefinite	Audit, Management	N/A
For Burial Grounds
Register of fees collected 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	Indefinite	Archives, Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 (SI 204)	N/A
Planning Papers
Applications	1 year	Management	Bin
Appeals	1 year unless significant development	Management	Bin
Trees	1 year	Management	Bin
Local Development Plans	Retained as long as in force	Reference	Bin
Local Plans	Retained as long as in force	Reference	Bin
Town/Neighbourhood Plans	Indefinite – final adopted plans	Historical purposes	N/A