The Publication Scheme

There is a range of other information which is available from the Council which is not 'published' via the publication scheme.  It cannot be requested under the scheme, but the Council will still facilitate access to it.  Reference to this information is included here to assist scheme users who might be interested in it, but it cannot be requested via the publication scheme.

Information which is publicly accessible but is not 'published'

This covers information or material which is held by the Council but is not accessible via the publication scheme.  It will not be included under the classes listed in Section 13.

Information which falls into this category would include e.g. the content of library, museum and archive collections.  Some of these may be held by the Council on behalf of others e.g. deposited collections in local museums.

Although these materials themselves are not described in the scheme, guides to archives and catalogues such as lists of content and guides to finding information are available via the publication scheme, and can be accessed in the classes found in Section 13.

'Added Value' information

This covers information which is held by the Council but has to be analysed or packaged in some way in response to a specific enquiry for it.  Such packaged information does not pre-exist the request and cannot be said to be 'published' - therefore it is not available via the publication scheme. The following are examples of value added information.

Property Enquiry Certificates ( PECs )

While some of the 'raw' information required to compile PECs is held in publicly available registers, and is therefore published (and can therefore be requested via the publication scheme), an individual PEC requires the extraction of, analysis and packaging of data in response to a specific request.  Information about PECs (e.g. how to apply for a PEC) is published, however, and can be found in Class 6 - Housing or Class 9 -Planning and the environment. Enquiries for this information should be directed to: Planning Help Desk, Tel: 0131 529 3550, Email: PlanningHelpDesk@edinburgh.gov.uk

Contaminated land enquiries

Enquiries for this information should be directed to: Environmental Health, Tel: 0131 529 3030, E-mail: environmentalhealth@edinburgh.gov.uk

Historic planning searches

Enquiries for this information should be directed to: Planning and Strategy - File Search Team, Tel. Tel: 0131 469 3638/3719, E-mail: file.searches@edinburgh.gov.uk

Building Standards Register - Part 2

Enquiries for this information should be directed to: Building Standards Plan Store, Tel. 0131 529 6016.

Genealogy Services

This is an example of the processing of data from publicly available registers.  The 'raw' data held in publicly available registers and can be accessed via the publication scheme, but any specific analysis created in response to enquiries to the service is new information and is not published for the purposes of the publication scheme.

Enquiries for this information should be directed to:

The Edinburgh Room
Central Library
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
EH1 1EG
Tel: 0131 242 8030
E-mail: edinburgh.room@edinburgh.gov.uk

Archive or library searches

The 'raw' contents of archives, museums and libraries may be publicly accessible, although they are not included in a publication scheme.  Similarly, information created as a result of any specific interrogation, analysis and packaging of material from the archives, libraries or museum collections which in effect creates new information which did not pre-exist the request, is not available via the publication scheme.

Enquiries for information from the City of Edinburgh Council Archives Service should be directed to:

Edinburgh City Archives
Level 1
City Chambers
High Street, Edinburgh
EH1 1YJ
Tel: 0131 529 4616
E-mail: archives@edinburgh.gov.uk