Finance

What is local government transparency?

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 (the Code) which came into effect on 1st April 2015.  The Code was issued through powers under Section 2 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and replaces any previous codes issued in relation to local authorities in England under those powers.

The aim of the Code, which can be found in the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 PDF document, is to increase transparency through publication of open and reusable data enabling taxpayers to see how local authorities are using public money.

The Code does not replace, or supersede, the existing framework for access to public sector information provided by the:
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Freedom of Information Act 2020 (as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012)
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005
Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community Regulations 2009
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 (ss.25 and 26) which provides the rights for persons to inspect a local authority’s accounting records and supporting documentation, and to make copies of them

The Code applies to town and parish councils which a gross income or expenditure in excess of £200,000.

Henley Town Council provides some information below but also elsewhere on this website.

Information which needs to be published

Under the below headers, information and data will be published at least quarterly by the Town Council.  Under the Data Protection Act 2018, personal data will be redacted if it can identify an individual.

Where contracts are awarded through a tender process and the value exceeds £50,000, the data will be published upon project delivery.

Expenditure over £500

The Council publishes expenditure over £500 including supplier and transaction information.
The Council’s expenditure for each financial year can be found below:

All expenditure is reported to the Finance Strategy and Management Committee at each ordinary meeting which is approximately every six weeks. The schedule for all meetings can be found here.

Income & expenditure

A summary overview of the Council’s income and expenditure as a whole can be found below:

Grants and donations to voluntary, community and faith sector organisations

As part of its ongoing commitment to the local community and voluntary sector, the Town Council offers grants throughout each financial year to support groups, activities and projects organised to benefit the people of Henley. A list of these grants can be found below:

Employees

The Code requires local authorities to publish details (including job descriptions, responsibilities and staff numbers) of any senior employees earning over £50,000 per annum. Henley Town Council has one employee, the Town Clerk, earning over this amount.
In accordance with the Local Government Transparency Code, the Council publishes the pay multiple: the ratio between the median and highest paid members of staff. You can find the latest pay multiple calculation.
The Council’s staff structure.

Councillor’s allowances and expenses

An annual budget is set aside for the Mayor of Henley to draw upon for expenses incurred whilst attending civic functions during their term of office. This budget is included in the budget documents available below. Councillors may claim expenses such as mileage.

Contracts and tenders

Copies of contracts to businesses and to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector worth more than £5,000 can be found on the schedule of payments. Invitations to tender and quote are issued for goods and services over £5,000. As of February 2025, tenders will be published on Find a Tender. Previous tenders and contract awards can be found on Contracts Finder.

Public Land, property and car parking owned by the Council

In order to ensure transparency and reasonableness, the following items are included on the Council’s asset register whether they have been gifted, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Town Council together with their location. These may include:
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Land and buildings held freehold or on a long term lease
Community assets
Vehicles, plant and machinery
Assets considered to be portable, attractive or of community significance
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The Town Council’s asset register, which includes all the items above.

Henley Town Council is responsible for the Mill Meadows and Mill Lane car parks. Details can be found on the Mill Meadows page.

Policies and governance documents
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The Town Councils policies and governance documents can be found here.

Town Council budget

A copy of the Town Council’s budget is published annually. As well as commercial income,
Henley Town Council is funded through the precept, which is collected as part of residents’ council tax.

Internal and external auditors

In accordance with the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, councils are required to have an annual and mid-year internal audit. The Internal Auditor is appointed by Council and evaluates and reviews the Council’s risk management, controls and governance. A copy of the latest internal audit reports can be found here.

Annual Governance and Accountability Returns

The Annual Governance Accountability Return must be submitted by the Council to the government-appointed external auditor each year.  The current nationally-appointed external auditor is Moore Stephens. Copies of these can be found below:

Standing orders and Financial regulations
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Henley Town Council reviews and readopts its Standing Orders and Financial Regulations annually.
These can be found in the policies section above.

Social housing

Henley Town Council does not provide any social housing or own any social housing stock.

Waste contracts

There are no waste collection contracts managed by Henley Town Council.

If you are unable to find the information you wish to see, please contact us.