Data retention explained

Why does records management matter?

Records management is governed by a number of laws and regulations, several of which concern data protection and Freedom of Information.

Records and information are vital to the effective operation of the council. Records are the basis on which decisions are made, services provided and policies developed.  

Records management is the practice of maintaining records safely from the time they are created for council business activities, during retention and up to their eventual disposal (the information life cycle). A record can be on paper, digital or a physical object.   

These records are the council’s corporate memory.

How does the council manage records?

The council has a number of policies, procedures, and guidance in place to ensure information is managed appropriately. A key part of this is the council’s retention schedule. This document set out details about all the records created and kept by us so that decisions can be made about disposing of them on a routine and timely basis.

The council’s retention schedule has been produced in consultation with the departments responsible for the business activities to establish the legal and regulatory requirements and business needs on which record retention should be based. 

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Retention Schedule (pdf 1MB)