Glossary

Finance: An accounting convention sometimes described as the 'matching principle' in which a transaction is reflected in the accounts for the period in which the substance of the arrangement takes place (e.g. when a service is provided or when goods are delivered) as opposed to the period during which a contract is entered into, or in which payments are made or received. Local Authority revenue accounts are compiled on an accruals basis.

Finance: Buildings that either have a shared use or are not charged directly to a service, such as the Guildhall. The costs relating to all such buildings (sometimes called central accommodation) are usually pooled and then allocated to the users of the buildings on some appropriate basis (usually the floor area occupied by each user).

Waste: An international agreement to reduce the impact of the human race on the world's environment

more: United Nations - Agenda 21

Waste: A waste management scheme that collects at the kerbside domestic non-recyclables one week and household recyclable the following week.

Waste: When waste breaks down without the presence of oxygen because it is too heavily compacted together. This is a problem at landfill sites in particular because it releases harmful gases to the atmosphere such as methane. Garden composting is turned to allow oxygen to enter

Finance: The difference between the government's assumption of total spending and total government grants for all local authorities is divided by the total national council tax base to produce an assumed national council tax rate.