Privacy Notice Planning

Planning – planning applications, local plan, planning enforcement

Who do we hold personal information about ?

People who apply for planning permission and / or their solicitors, agents and other advisors
People who respond to consultation we carry out
People who complain to us about a planning application, or unauthorised development, or other matters within the remit of the Planning Team

What types of personal information do we hold ?

We will collect and use the following types of personal information:

For people who apply for planning permission, people who submit representations about planning applications or people against whom we are taking or contemplating enforcement action:

Your contact details (such as name, address, telephone number, email address)
Your age
Photographs
Information relating to the application
Contact details for your agent or advisor, if you have one (such as name, address, telephone number, email address)
Information relating to enforcement action we may have taken or investigations we have carried out
Special category personal information such as medical forms and supporting medical information where this is relevant to the application or planning matter we are dealing with
Contact we have had with you, such as emails and correspondence

This is usually information you and / or your agents will have supplied to us, although when we carry out investigations we may collect information about you from other people, including the Police. We may also receive information from people who wish to object to a planning application or from the statutory bodies we have to consult in respect of your application, such as Lancashire County Council

For complainants:

Your contact details (such as name, address, telephone number, email address) and those of any witnesses
Your date of birth
Details of your complaint, including photographs
Contact we have had with you, such as emails and correspondence

This is usually information you will have supplied to us.

What do we use personal information for ?

To process planning and related applications
To deal with planning appeals and public inquiries
To give pre-submission planning advice
To investigate and resolve complaints
To ensure planning laws are observed and enforced
To take enforcement action in accordance with our statutory powers, which may include prosecution and service of enforcement notices, stop notices etc

What is the legal basis for the use of personal information ?

We will process your personal information (including special categories of personal information) in accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018. In particular, we will use your personal information:

With your consent; and / or
Where this is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Council; and / or
Where this is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which the Council is subject
To protect your vital interests or those of another person.

In particular, we will use your information to comply with our obligations under town and country planning legislation.

With special category personal data, we will use the information only where necessary in order to carry out our public tasks which are in the substantive public interest.

If you fail to provide certain information when requested we may be unable to process your application.

Who might we share your personal information with ?

Sometimes we will share your personal information with other agencies in order to perform a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us. For example, we may share your personal information:

Other departments within the Council in order to provide our services
The Planning Inspectorate in respect of planning appeals, examinations of the local plan or in connection with orders (such as compulsory purchase orders, rights of way orders etc)
The statutory consultees in respect of planning applications eg Lancashire County Council, the Highways Agency, the Environment Agency, Natural England
The Police in connection with an investigation;
Your agent or representative
The Local Government Ombudsman in respect of complaints

To comply with our statutory obligations we may 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 on their behalf, the name and address of the agent along with other details about the planning application. A copy of your planning application and relevant supporting documents and drawings are also publicly available, but details such as signatures, telephone numbers and personal email addresses are removed before being published on the website.