Planning and climate change policy privacy notice

1 Council Contact Details

1.1 West Northamptonshire Council
Registered Office:
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED
Tel: 0300 126 7000

This notice explains what personal data (information) we hold about you, how we collect it, how we use it and how we may share information that we hold about you in order to deliver our services. We are required to give you this information under data protection law. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. The Privacy Notice below explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) complies with data protection legislation (the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and are registered as ‘Data Controllers’ (Reg. No. ZA896620).

1.2 The Planning and Climate Change Policy Team is responsible for preparing land use planning policies, strategies, and guidance to guide future development proposals within West Northamptonshire. The preparation of planning policy documents is an ongoing process. The overall aim is to secure an appropriate balance between enabling development whilst seeking to conserve, protect and where possible, enhance the local environment. The planning and climate change policy team is also responsible for working alongside parish councils preparing Neighbourhood Plans for their area The Planning and Climate Change Policy Team is responsible for monitoring the Council’s environmental impacts including carbon emissions and promoting sustainability within West Northamptonshire.

1.3 Contact details:

Daventry Office – [email protected]
Northampton Office – [email protected]
South Northamptonshire Office – [email protected]
Strategic Plan Office – [email protected]
Climate Change enquiries – [email protected]

2 Information that we hold

2.1 We currently collect and process the following information for functions carried out by our Planning Policy and Climate Change Service:

names, addresses and contact details (phone numbers and email addresses) of applicants, agents, representatives, public contributors, complainants and enquirers and persons wishing to be consulted on policy documents
property or site details
land ownership
medical or health information where this is relevant
details of race and ethnic origin
age
religious or philosophical beliefs
Household income

We ensure that the personal information we collect is done so proportionately, correctly and safely.

3 How the information is obtained

3.1 Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you or your representative for one of the following reasons:

as part of an application
by contributing to applications and consultations
to make an enquiry, request or complaint
to comment on Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans, Supplementary Planning Documents and other planning policy documents
to comment on conservation area designations and appraisals, local listings and Article 4 Directions
in relation to the designation of Tree Preservation Orders
to register an interest in the Self and Custom Build Housing Register
to request an addition to the Brownfield Register
to request regular communications and updates
to provide information for evidence base documents

We also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:

Land Registry enquiries, to identify landowners, investigate allegations and serve notices
special category information such as political opinions, race or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs can be implicated within an application but not explicitly requested by the council, for example, a representative of a religious organisation submitting a planning application
Agents applying on behalf of a household for home insulation measures funded under the Energy Company Obligation Flexible Eligibility scheme (ECO Flex)

3.2 There are a number of reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information. Generally, we collect and use personal information where:

it is necessary to meet our legal obligations
you have requested a service from us
you have entered into a contract with us
it is necessary to protect public health
it is required for the defense of legal cases
it is needed for employment purposes
you, or your legal representative, have given us your consent
you have made your information publicly available
it is necessary for law enforcement reasons and to prevent, and detect fraud or crime
we need to protect individuals from harm (in an emergency) or
it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes. For these purposes your data would be used in a pseudonymised format (name and other identifying information replaced with a unique number).

The legislation which supports this processing is:

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003
Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
Electronic Communications Regulations
Environment Act 1995
Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2017
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Housing Act 1996
Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
Localism Act 2011
Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017
Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015
Town and Country Planning Act 1990
The Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015
The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (as amended)
The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended)

4 What we do with the information

4.1 We use the information that you have given us in order to:

inform you about your opportunities to engage with the preparation of Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans, Supplementary Planning Documents and other planning policy documents and housing needs surveys
collect information needed to inform the preparation and monitoring of such plans and policy documents
keep you informed on progress of Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans, Supplementary Planning Documents and other planning policy documents
enable the Council to fulfil its regulatory requirements in the preparation of the statutory development plan for the area
Assess your eligibility for home insulation measures under the ECO Flex scheme
Enquire with our switching partner, iChoosr, on your household offer for the Big Switch scheme

The information will only be used for the purposes stated when it was collected. Information will not be sold, rented or provided to anyone else, or used for any other purpose than that for which it was originally collected unless required to by law.

4.2 Information may be shared in the following circumstances:

Shared internally with other Council services in order to ensure our records are accurate and up-to-date, and to improve the standard of the services we deliver
Shared externally with the Planning Inspectorate, where the development plan document is being subject to independent examination by them
Shared externally with Neighbourhood Plan Qualifying Bodies and Independent Neighbourhood Plan Examiners
Share with consultants undertaking work on behalf of the Council

Names and location addresses of contributors to planning policy consultations are made public and open to public inspection, exact addresses and contact information are withheld.

Important: Applications and comments are checked for sensitive information before publication however we strongly recommend that you indicate documents in whole, or in part which contain personal information you do not wish to be made public.

We have a legal duty to make certain information available and cannot guarantee all such requests will be approved. Please do not provide information such as health or medical information where it is not required.

Please also refrain from including personal information or comments about other people unless they have given their consent for you to do so and you can provide evidence of their consent.

We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law. Any information sharing is undertaken in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We have mechanisms in place to share information lawfully and securely.

5 How long we keep your information for and how we securely dispose of it after use

5.1 We keep your personal information for the purpose of planning and climate change matters as long as regulatory bodies require us to and in line with the council’s retention schedules.

5.2 We will securely dispose of your information in line with the council's retention schedules.

6 How we store your information

6.1 Your information is securely stored on the council’s systems.

7 Your data protection rights

7.1 The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how we can use it. Please see section 15 of the council’s Corporate Privacy Notice for further information.

7.2 Please be aware that your rights may differ depending on the lawful basis for processing your personal data.

7.3 The right to withdraw consent. You can ask that we no longer use your details for the purposes of Planning and Climate Change Policy. If you wish to exercise this right, please contact the Data Protection Officer detailed in section 8.1 below.

8 Who to contact

8.1 If you would like further information about how we use your personal information, or you wish to exercise one of your data rights or you wish to complain about the use of your personal information please contact the Data Protection Officer

8.2 If you are still dissatisfied once you have contacted the Data Protection Officer, you have the right to complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

This privacy notice was completed March 2022.
The privacy notice review date is March 2023.

Last updated 06 July 2023