Planning

As a Planning Authority, Stratford-on-Avon District Council is responsible for exercising planning functions within its area. The planning process is designed to allow the public to participate in the decision making process by expressing their views on planning matters.

Planning is a matter of public interest and we are required to publish certain information received in relation to planning applications. This information is usually published on our website. Where possible, we will redact personal data from information that we publish. In relation to planning applications received, we publish names of an applicant or the agent as well as the address of the property and details of plans and proposals.

We will collect and receive personal data from a number of sources to include applicants, agents, consultees and members of the public.

What personal data do we process?

When you contact the council in connection with a planning-related matter, we will routinely collect personal data from you in order to deal with your enquiry. This can be collected by completion of one of our online forms. The type of information that we collect from you will depend upon the nature of the enquiry and the service that we provide to you. Examples of information that we collect from you include:

• your name
• your phone number
• your email address
• your home address
• details of your property including photographs
• bank details collected in order to receive and record payments made for charges in connection with the provision of planning services

In some cases, we may need to collect additional information from you and this may include sensitive personal information known as special category data such as racial or ethnic origin, health details and criminal convictions that may identify you.

What do we do with this personal data?

We need to process your personal data in order to provide planning-related services. Examples include:

• making or commenting on planning applications or appeals
• making a planning pre-application enquiry
• for the purposes of consulting you on the production of new planning documents or updates to existing planning documents
• keeping you informed of planning applications where you have registered an interest to be kept informed

How do we share this personal data?

In some cases, we need to share information that you give us. We share personal data with other departments within the council (for example, housing, policy, legal, environmental health) external organisations (for example, the county council, town council, Environment Agency, Natural England), the Planning Inspectorate and other external bodies (for example consultants).

We will only share your personal information where this is required to enable us to perform our role and is lawful.

What is our lawful basis for processing?

Our lawful basis for processing personal data is in order to perform a task in the public interest and/or official authority vested. Our lawful basis for processing special category data is in the substantial public interest to exercise the functions conferred upon us.

How long do we keep your data?

Records are kept wherever possible in accordance with the council's retention policy.

Comments on planning applications are removed from the website after a decision has been made on the application

Your rights

You are entitled to request a copy of any information that we hold about you. We request that you make any such requests in writing. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.

You have the right to request that we stop, or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances. Where possible we will seek to comply with your request, but we may be required to hold or process information to perform our statutory functions.

You can find further details under Privacy.