Document Retention & Disposal Policy

Appendix A: List of Documents for Retention or Disposal

Document Minimum Retention Period Reason Location Retained Disposal
Minutes Indefinite Archive Village Hall & Clerk’s Office 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 Laptop Bin (shred confidential waste)
Accident/incident reports 20 years Potential claims Village Hall 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 Village Hall Bin
Receipt and payment accounts Indefinite Archive Village Hall & Clerk’s Office N/A
Receipt books of all kinds 6 years VAT Clerk’s Office Bin
Bank statements including deposit/savings accounts Last completed audit year Audit Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Bank paying-in books Last completed audit year Audit Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Cheque book stubs Last completed audit year Audit Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Quotations and tenders 6 years Limitation Act 1980 (as amended) Clerk’s Office 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 Village Hall & Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Paid cheques 6 years Limitation Act 1980 (as amended) Village Hall & Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
VAT records 6 years generally but 20 years for VAT on rents VAT Village Hall & Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Petty cash, postage and telephone books 6 years Tax, VAT, Limitation Act 1980 (as amended) Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Timesheets Last completed audit year

 

3 years

Audit (requirement)

 

Personal injury (best practice)

Clerk’s Office Bin
Wages books/payroll 12 years Superannuation Clerk’s Office Confidential waste
Insurance policies While valid (but see next two items below) Management Clerk’s Office Bin
Insurance company names and policy numbers Indefinite Management

 

 

Village Hall & Clerk’s Office 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

Village Hall & Clerk’s Office Bin
Playground equipment inspection reports 21 years   Village Hall & Clerk’s Office  
Investments Indefinite Audit, Management Village Hall & Clerk’s Office N/A
Title deeds, leases, agreements, contracts Indefinite Audit, Management Village Hall & Clerk’s Office N/A
Information from other bodies

 

e.g. circulars from county associations, NALC, principal authorities

Retained for as long as it is useful and relevant   Clerk’s Office 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 use for such records (defined as materials in written or other form setting out facts or events or otherwise recording information). Village Hall N/A
Magazines and journals (Village Bulletin) 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) *

 

 

Clerk’s Office Bin if applicable
*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
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 Clerk’s Office 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.

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 Clerk’s Office 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. Clerk’s Office 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.

If in doubt, keep for the longest of the three limitation periods.

Negligence 6 years   Village Hall Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Defamation 1 year   Village Hall Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Contract 6 years   Village Hall Confidential waste. A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.
Leases 12 years   Village Hall Confidential waste.
Sums recoverable by statute 6 years   Village Hall Confidential waste.
Personal injury 3 years   Village Hall Confidential waste.
To recover land 12 years   Village Hall Confidential waste.
Rent 6 years   Village Hall Confidential waste.
Breach of trust None   Village Hall Confidential waste.
Trust deeds Indefinite   Village Hall N/A
For Halls, Centres, Recreation Grounds
  • Application to hire
  • Invoices
6 years VAT Village Hall Confidential waste

 

A list will be kept of those documents disposed of to meet the requirements of the GDPR regulations.

Lettings diaries Electronic files linked to accounts VAT Village Hall N/A
Terms and Conditions 6 years Management Village Hall Bin
Event Monitoring Forms 6 years unless required for claims, insurance or legal purposes Management Village Hall 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 Clerk’s Office N/A
Other        
Legal papers Indefinite Audit, Management Clerk’s Office N/A
Trees 1 year Management Clerk’s Office Bin
Local Development Plans Retained as long as in force Reference Clerk’s Office Bin
Local Plans Retained as long as in force Reference Clerk’s Office Bin
Town/Neighbourhood Plans Indefinite – final adopted plans Historical purposes Clerk’s Office N/A
CCTV
Discs – master and working For as long as required Data protection   Confidential waste
Internal Operations Procedure Manual Destroy on renewal

 

Review annually

Management   Confidential waste
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