Following the recent announcement of our updated Document Retention Policy for the Chamber’s postal address service, we are now entering the next phase of its implementation. This involves reviewing the handling of existing physical paperwork currently held on behalf of our members.
What’s Changing
After a successful one-month trial, the policy is now being applied across all member accounts, except for those who have chosen to opt out. Effective 1st May 2025, any documents received are being physically retained for two months before secure disposal. During this time, members may request the return of any physical documents they wish to keep.
Since 1st January 2023, we have securely scanned and stored digital copies of all incoming mail. As there is no longer a legal requirement to keep the original hard copies, we will now begin shredding and securely disposing of physical documents received since that date.
For documents received before 1st January 2023, we will continue to retain the originals unless members request them to be sent by post (handling fees apply). For those who have opted for digital-only services, we will begin annual shredding of pre-2023 documents starting with 2018 documents on 1st January 2026, then continuing year by year.
What You Need to Do
We kindly ask all members to confirm how they would like us to handle the physical documents currently in storage:
-
Digital Only: We securely shred old paperwork and retain only the digital copies.
Complete the form here -
Receive Physical Copies: We post the originals to you. (Postage & handling fees apply.)
Complete the form here
Please submit your preference by 30th June 2025. If no response is received, we will proceed with document shredding in line with our new policy.
Need Help?
If you have any questions or would like to request the return of specific documents, please contact us at office@blcc.co.uk.