Summary
This privacy notice explains what personal information is collected, what it is used for and who it is provided to. The notice also describes why we require your data, and the legal basis on which we do this. This privacy notice relates to our Planning Service, which comprises Development Management and Strategic Planning. It provides additional information that specifically relates to this particular service and should be read together with our general privacy notice, which provides more detail.
What personal information does this service use?
We use personal information, such as:
- name
- contact details (postal address, telephone number, email address, etc)
- if you are representing / acting on behalf of an organisation or business (where applicable)
- information concerning your planning application
- photographs/ images
- comments about development
- complaints made about development
- comments made on planning policy consultations
We also use the following special category personal information:
- completed medical forms
- any supporting medical information from general practitioners or specialists.
What is your personal information used for?
We will use the personal information you provide for the following purposes:
- assessing and processing your planning application
- to resolve complaints made about the service
- to ensure planning rules and laws are enforced
- to prepare statistics and for research. This will only be done using anonymised information.
- to hold, and where necessary share, a record of comments, representations made and other feedback made on planning policy
- to keep you informed about planning policy developments and consultations
- to facilitate/support community engagement forums and events in which residents, businesses and stakeholders may attend
- to enable you to apply to be on the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Register
What is the lawful basis we are relying on?
We collect and use this information in line with planning legislation (Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments) because we are under a legal obligation to do so (Art 6(1)(c) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation ‘UK GPDR’).
We also use personal information where necessary to undertake our public duties in the administration of the planning system (Art 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR). For special category data, we use this information only where necessary in order to carry out our public tasks which are in the substantial public interest (Art 9(2)(e) of the UK GDPR). If you do not provide the requested information we will not be able to progress your application or resolve your complaint.
We also rely on your consent to receive updates via our mailing list (Article 6(1)(a) of the UK GDPR.
Where has the personal information come from?
The personal information that we hold is provided by you:
- in your planning application and the supporting documents you provided with it
- from documents of support or objection, and complaints about development, from interested parties
- when you comment and provide representations on a planning policy
- when you ask to join the Planning Strategy Database
- when you ask to join the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Register
The planning service will also use information from other Council departments and other organisations to aid in the decision making process as to the lawfulness of development
Who will we share your personal information with?
Personal data is shared securely with other parties and organisations where it is both necessary and appropriate to do so as part of the planning process.
Information is shared with the following:
- Police
- Home Office
- Cabinet Office
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- other local authorities
- The Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- departments within the Council
- Planning Inspectorate
- statutory and non-statutory consultees.
- Objective Keystone who store the Planning Strategy Database, mailing lists and consultation responses on behalf of Manchester City Council
- Local Plan Examination Programme Officers
- Regulators such as the Local Government Ombudsman
To comply with our statutory obligations, we are required to make public certain details relating to planning applications in the form of a public register. Regulations allow this information to be made available on the internet.
We will publish on our website a list of planning applications including the name and address of the applicant and, where an agent is acting for their behalf, the name and address of that agent along with other details about the planning application. A copy of your completed application form and relevant supporting documents and drawings are also available. Details such as signatures, personal telephone numbers and personal email addresses are redacted before being published on the website.
We are also required to make your name public alongside your comments and representations made on the Local Plan consultation at the Publication Stage under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. Your name alongside representations/comments you have submitted will be viewable online through the Council’s website, and therefore we cannot accept comments/representations submitted as private or confidential.
How long will we keep your information?
Our retention schedule sets out how long we keep personal information for.
Your personal information and your rights
You can find out more about your rights regarding the personal information used for this service. Your rights apply to the information held by the Council as a data controller, and the information we hold on behalf of the other data controllers.
Contacting us about your data and updates
If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if you're unhappy about how we process your information.