Planning privacy notices

The Planning Services department of Elmbridge Borough Council collect information about you in order to: investigate complaints about matters which do not have permission under the planning acts and associated regulations.

We can be contacted via the online contact form.

Lawful basis for collecting your personal data

Our lawful basis for processing your personal data under Article 6(1) of the UK GDPR is:

• public task: the processing is necessary for the performance a task in the public interest or for the exercise of official authority

Information we may collect

As part of the process we will be asking you for:

• your name address and contact details
• any information you have included to support your complaint such as reports, photographs, plans, maps and drawings
• any information gathered during the investigation of a complaint

Why we collect this information

Personal data will be processed for duties related to our functions of investigating an alleged breach, and possible enforcement and prosecution of an offence. This could include financial and criminal investigations or tasks reasonably required to carry out these functions.

Who we may share your information with

We will share information including personal data with other departments in the council to support the effective operation of our work or where we believe that the information may relate to a potential breach of non-planning matters.

We will share personal data externally where it is reasonably required to carry out elements of our work. Information will also be shared when requests are received by legitimate law enforcement bodies carrying out their public role.

What we do with your information

Your information will be used to enable us to determine if there has been a breach and what action the council may take to resolve the breach.

Enforcement files are confidential and the details of complainants are only released in limited circumstances, for example where we require your assistance with a prosecution.

How long we keep your information

In accordance with our Data Retention Policy information on planning enforcement files is kept permanently.

Your rights

You do have some legal rights in respect of the personal information we collect from you. Please see our corporate privacy notice for further details.

You can also contact our Data Protection Officer by email at dataprotection@elmbridge.gov.uk.

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), see Information Commissioner's Office: Make a complaint.