Privacy and Personal Data

South Hams District Council takes your privacy seriously. We will use your information in order to charge and collect business rates accordingly. This notice sets out what we will do with your personal information and who we may share it with in respect of the above.

What information about you do we collect?

We collect the following information:

• Name of the liable party
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Owners of premises
• Registered office
• Bank details for customers paying by direct debit

How do we collect information about you?

Relevant personal data will be collected:

• Directly from the data subject
• From other Council departments
• HMRC – Valuation Office Agency
• The Land Registry
• Companies House
• Charities Commission

How will your personal data be used?

Your personal data will be used in the following ways:

• To charge and collect business rates under the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1988
• To recover unpaid business rates
• To assess and apply any relevant reliefs
• To assist and apply any relevant exemptions
• To resolve any complaints made against the service
• For the detection of fraud, including the use of data-matching initiatives to protect public funds
• To ensure safe systems of work for visiting staff who meet ratepayers
• To charge and collect Business Improvement District (BID) Levy under The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004

The Legal basis for processing your data

• Article 6 1(c) processing is necessary for the compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject. Local authorities are legally obligated to charge and collect business rates under the Local Government Finance Act 1988
• Article 6 1(e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. Local authorities are required to charge and collect business rates under the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Who will your personal data be shared with?

Your personal data is securely shared with the following organisations, where it is necessary to do so:

• Representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• Local and Central Government
• Other council departments
• Ombudsman and regulatory authorities
• Courts and tribunals
• Enforcement agents
• Debt collection and tracing agencies
• Police forces
• Regulatory bodies
• HMRC
• Law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
• National Fraud Initiative

The Councils will never sell your data to anyone else.

Transferring of data outside of the EU

Your data will not be transferred outside of the EU. It will be securely stored electronically within the UK only, unless it was necessary for safeguarding or for the prevention and detection of crime.

Length of time we keep your information

The Council will retain personal data for no longer than 6 years from when the record was created, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Individual Rights

You have a number of rights under the General Data Protection Regulations. These can be found on the ICO website.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please email the data protection officer.

Data Controller

The data controller for your information is:

South Hams District Council

Follaton House

Plymouth Road

Totnes

TQ9 5NE

Data Processor

The data processor for your information is:

South Hams District Council

Follaton House

Plymouth Road

Totnes

TQ9 5NE

Data Protection Officer

The Councils have a duty to appoint a Data Protection Officer. The Council's Data Protection Officer is Drew Powell, South Hams District Council/West Devon Borough Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NE

If you have any queries about our privacy notices or would like to exercise your data rights or make a complaint, please contact the Data Protection Officer by email the data protection officer, telephoning 01803 861234 or writing to them at Data Protection Officer, South Hams District Council/West Devon Borough Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NE

If you are not happy with how we have handled your complaint, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office to raise your concerns about how we have processed your information or how we have responded to your request to exercise any of your rights in relation to your information:

• Telephone them on 0303 123 1113
• Visit their website at www.ico.org.uk/concerns
• Write to them at:
  
  Information Commissioner's Office
  
  Wycliffe House
  
  Water Lane
  
  Wilmslow
  
  Cheshire
  
  SK9 5AF