Region at a glance
How this regional list works:in two-tier areas, county councils usually control education, SEND, social care and highways while district or borough councils may control housing, homelessness, waste collection, many local planning applications and licensing. Always confirm which body owns the function.
Independent disclaimer:Right First Time UK is not operated by or affiliated with any public body. Verify forms, deadlines, procedures and current structures on the linked official source.
What you can inspect on every council card:each authority now has direct routes for democratic decisions, councillor information,
budgets, accounts, spending, procurement, senior pay, assets, performance, audit,
planning, SEND, housing, social care, complaints and information rights. Where an
authority changes a deep page address, the link uses that authority's own official
website search for the named record so the public can still reach the relevant material.
19 councilsDirect official council routes.
Decision recordsMeetings, minutes and delegated decisions.
Open dataSpending, contracts and assets.
SEND & EHCPLocal Offers and legal routes.
FOI / EIR / SARDifferent rights for different records.
Audit trailFollow public money to outcome.
Find a council or topic
Search the council boxes below or use the quick filters.
No matching councils or sections found. Try a shorter search or press Reset.
South East councils
Each card gives direct official routes instead of sending every link to the council homepage.
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
Bracknell Forest Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilSussex
Brighton & Hove City Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBuckinghamshire & Thames Valley
Buckinghamshire Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBuckinghamshire & Thames Valley
Milton Keynes City Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilSussex
East Sussex County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilHampshire & Solent
Hampshire County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilHampshire & Solent
Isle of Wight Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilKent & Medway
Kent County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilKent & Medway
Medway Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilOxfordshire & Thames Valley
Oxfordshire County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilHampshire & Solent
Portsmouth City Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
Reading Borough Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
Slough Borough Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilHampshire & Solent
Southampton City Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilSurrey
Surrey County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
West Berkshire Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilSussex
West Sussex County Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
CouncilBerkshire & Thames Valley
Wokingham Borough Council
Direct official routes for decisions, transparency, planning, SEND, complaints and information rights.
Democracy and decisions
Money and transparency
- Budgets and medium-term financial plans
- Annual accounts, external audit and governance statement
- Spending over £500 and transparency data
- Contracts, tenders, procurement and contract register
- Senior pay, pay policy and allowances
- Council land, property and assets
- Strategies, performance and council plan
- Internal audit, audit committee and risk
Services and rights
- Planning and development information
- SEND Local Offer
- EHCP, SENDIASS and school transport
- Housing, homelessness and allocations
- Adult and children's social care
- Complaints and compliments
- FOI and Environmental Information (EIR)
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests (SAR)
- Publication scheme, disclosure log and open data
Regional, strategic and shared public services
Current structures and reorganisation information.
Hampshire and the Solent
Five new unitary councils are intended to begin operating from 1 April 2028. Existing councils continue delivering services during transition.
Official Hampshire & Solent LGR informationFuture Surrey
East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council are due to go live on 1 April 2027.
Government Surrey LGR collectionKent and Medway
Government has decided, subject to Parliamentary approval, on four new unitary councils from April 2028.
Government Kent & Medway LGR collectionKent County Council LGR informationSussex and Brighton
Government has decided, subject to Parliamentary approval, to establish two unitary councils in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. No decision has yet been taken on West Sussex reorganisation.
Government consultation outcomeWest Sussex current positionRegional bodies
Open Council: follow decisions, money and accountability
Trace a decision from proposal to approval, procurement, delivery, audit and outcome.
Who decided and under what power?
- Full Council, Cabinet, committee and scrutiny papers.
- Forward plans, key decisions and delegated decisions.
- Constitution, schemes of delegation and financial regulations.
- Councillor attendance, voting and declared interests.
Follow council spending
- Supplier expenditure over £500.
- Procurement-card transactions.
- Contracts and procurement information.
- Grants, senior salaries, organisation charts and land/assets where required.
Track procurement and suppliers
Find a TenderContracts FinderCompanies HouseAccounts and audit
- Statement of accounts.
- Annual governance statement.
- External audit and published internal audit reports.
- Public inspection notices and deadlines.
Interests and governance
- Councillor interests.
- Gifts and hospitality where published.
- Standards records.
- Council-owned companies and joint ventures.
An interest, relationship or contract is not by itself evidence of wrongdoing.
Did the service deliver?
- Corporate plans and performance dashboards.
- Inspection findings and action plans.
- Complaint learning reports.
- Overspends, delays and revised completion dates.
SEND and EHCP transparency
Core legal framework
Children and Families Act 2014 Part 3SEND Regulations 2014SEND Code of PracticePlan accountability
- Record request and decision dates.
- Keep professional advice.
- Check Sections B and F carefully.
- Record missed provision.
Statistics and inspection
EHCP statisticsArea SEND inspection frameworkOfsted reportsWhy these records matter
Local-authority transparency is not limited to meeting minutes. Public scrutiny can include spending, procurement, contracts, accounts, senior remuneration, assets, decision records, performance, complaints and published datasets. The hub therefore places these routes together so a resident can move from a decision, to the money behind it, to the contract, delivery record, audit trail and complaint or information-rights route.
Public finance, contracts and audit
Documents to compare
- Revenue budget and medium-term financial strategy.
- Capital programme and business cases.
- Budget monitoring and savings reports.
- Statement of accounts and governance statement.
- Supplier payments and procurement-card data.
- Contract register and award notices.
- Senior pay and staffing structures.
National procurement searches
Contracts FinderFind a TenderProcurement Act guidanceAudit and value for money
Public Sector Audit AppointmentsNational Audit OfficePlanning, housing, transport and environment
Planning evidence
- Application, drawings and supporting statements.
- Consultation responses.
- Officer report and committee debate.
- Decision notice and conditions.
- Section 106 obligations.
- Enforcement and appeal records.
National planning
Planning PortalPlanning Inspectorate appealsPlanning DataHousing
Housing OmbudsmanRegulator of Social HousingLGSCO housing complaintsEnvironment
Environment AgencyFlood Map for PlanningHealth, education, social care, policing and fire
NHS and care regulation
NHS England South EastCare Quality CommissionSchools and inspection
Get Information About SchoolsOfsted reportsSchool complaints guidancePolice accountability
Police.ukIOPCHMICFRSPublic data
ONSData.gov.ukLG InformComplaints, information rights and scrutiny
FOI
Recorded non-environmental public information, subject to exemptions.
ICO official-information guidanceEIR
Recorded environmental information.
ICO EIR guidanceSAR
Your own personal data.
ICO SAR guidanceOmbudsmen
Local Government and Social Care OmbudsmanHousing OmbudsmanNational scrutiny
Find MPs and LordsHansardParliamentary committeesPublic transparency checklist
- Identify the correct responsible public body.
- Search committee papers, forward plans and delegated decisions first.
- Record report title, date, agenda item, decision-maker, vote and interests.
- Compare approved budget with monitoring reports and final spending.
- Search council contract registers and national procurement databases.
- Use FOI, EIR or SAR according to the information needed.
- Request internal review where an FOI/EIR response is disputed.
- Use the relevant complaint, appeal, tribunal or Ombudsman route.
- Keep dated copies because sites and council structures change.
Suggested evidence record
| Date | Public body | Decision/problem | Evidence saved | Deadline | Next route |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD/MM/YYYY | Council | Brief factual description | Email, minutes, policy, report or response | Review/appeal date | Review, complaint, tribunal or Ombudsman |