Planning and building control privacy notice

We are a data controller under the UK Data Protection law as we collect and process personal information about you in order to provide Planning and Building Control services and meet our statutory obligations. Please see below why we need your information.

We use your information for the purposes of processing and determining planning applications, building regulations notices, dangerous structures, street naming and numbering, planning policy and investigating alleged breaches.

We have a statutory obligation to provide these services in accordance with the following legislation:

• The Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations
• The London Building Act (Amendment) Act 1939
• Fire Safety and Places of Sports Act 1987
• Town and Country Planning Act 1990
• Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
• Planning Act 2008
• Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
• Local Government Act 1972

In order to administer our services we collect the following information from you:

• name
• address
• email
• telephone number
• bank details
• agent contact details (if applicable)
• full address of the development

We are required to publish planning applications on its website which includes applicant/agent name and address, however, we will redact personal information such as signatures, email addresses and telephone numbers.

We are required to keep a record of building regulation service providers, notices and decisions. We will redact personal information such as signatures, email addresses and telephone numbers.

We charge for Planning and Building Control applications and will record payment amounts made, amounts outstanding and the action taken to recover monies owed.

Enforcement cases remain confidential and at no time will we divulge the details of complainants who have informed us of alleged planning or building regulation breaches.

Generally, the information we hold will have been provided by you (on an application or enquiry form or when we communicate with you), but we may also hold information provided by third parties where this is relevant i.e. complainants, LGO, other council departments.

We will only ask for personal information that is appropriate to enable us to deliver our services. In some cases, you can refuse to provide your details if you deem a request to be inappropriate. However, you should note that this may impact our ability to provide some services to you.

In accordance with the data protection act 2018, we need a "lawful basis" for collecting and using information about you. There are a variety of different lawful bases for processing personal data which are set out in the data protection act.

The lawful basis on which we rely in order to use the information which we collect about you for the purposes set out in this notice will be: 

• Public Task under the Building Act 1984, Building Regulations 2010

We may share information you have provided, and obtain information about you from other Waltham Forest Council departments such as Highways or Housing, where held and only as appropriate.

We may share your information with external agencies such as the Planning Inspectorate or Local Government Ombudsman in the event of direct appeals or complaints.

We will not disclose any information to any company outside of London Borough of Waltham Forest except to prevent fraud, or if required to do so by law.

Planning decisions are kept in hard copy format for 6 months and then they are required to be published on our website and the information retained ad infinitum.

Our Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer is Mark Hynes, you contact him by email at data.protectionofficer@walthamforest.gov.uk

Protecting your information

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Your information choice and rights

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Complaints and contact details

These are included in the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Information Commissioner’s Office

If we’re unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)