The Climate Change team forms part of the Planning Policy, Economic Development and Climate Change/ Directorate of Place and this document explains how information will be held about you and processed.
We collect, hold and use your personal data to help us deliver climate change and nature projects, surveys and events. This notice should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.
1. How do we get your information?
Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you. We may also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources:
- Directly from you when you:
- Contact us by email, telephone or post
- Complete application forms, surveys or consultation responses
- Register for public events
- Register for workshops
- Apply for funding or grants
- Participate in meetings and or community projects
- Other departments within Wealden District Council
- Parish and Town Councils
- Community groups, charities and voluntary organisations
- Project partners and delivery organisations
- Government departments and public bodies (where relevant)
- Other local authorities
- Funding bodies
- Third-party event booking platforms (such as Eventbrite)
- Online engagement platforms (such as Let’s Talk Wealden)
- Social media platforms where you choose to engage with us
- Publicly available sources, where appropriate
2. What personal data do we process and why
The information we process about you will vary depending on the service being provided, but will fall within the following categories:
- name
- date of birth
- address
- email addresses
- telephone numbers
- organisation name
- job title or role
- correspondence with us
- consultation responses
- event attendance records
- dietary or accessibility requirements for events
- emergency contact details (where appropriate)
- grant application information
- project information
- bank account details where grants or payments are made
- business details
- land ownership or land management information
- photographs, video recordings and audio recordings
- survey responses
- website usage information
- employee data
- references
- disabilities
3. Information relating to health and wellbeing and other special category data
In order to meet our statutory and legal obligations in respect of these services, we may also need to process sensitive, or “special category” personal data about you, which could include data related to:
- racial or ethnic origin data
- religious or philosophical beliefs
- health
- sexual orientation
We always ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your rights and freedoms (including, where required, maintaining an appropriate policy document), and we only retain this data for as long as necessary for the purpose(s) for which it is processed.
4. Information relating to criminal offence data
We do not process personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures (known as “criminal offence data” under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018).
This means we do not collect, hold, use, or share information about individuals’ criminal records, convictions, cautions, alleged offences, investigations, proceedings, or related security measures (such as bail conditions or restraining orders) as part of our normal activities.
If such data were to come into our possession incidentally (for example, as part of a report or complaint), we would only handle it to the extent strictly necessary to respond appropriately and in compliance with data protection law, and we would not retain or further process it unless required by law.
5. Why we collect personal information about you.
Wealden District Council’s Climate Change Team will collect and hold personal information related to community engagement, workshops and project delivery linked to our climate change work. We use this information for the following purposes:
- deliver climate change, sustainability, renewable energy, nature based projects
- administer grants and funding programmes
- assess funding applications
- communicate with applicants, project partners and stakeholders
- organise events, workshops, webinars and site visits
- manage registrations and attendance
- undertake public consultations
- conduct surveys and research
- evaluate projects and measure outcomes
- monitor project and grant compliance
- produce reports and statistics
- administer partnerships and networks
- respond to enquiries
- improve our services
- comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- protect public funds and prevent fraud
- deliver and manage the services we provide
- train and manage our workers who deliver those services
- investigate your queries or complaints you may have about our services
- check the quality of our services
- assist with research and planning of new services
6. Lawful basis for processing your personal data
We process personal data because it is necessary to comply with our legal obligations which are:
- Local Government Act 1972
- Climate Change Act 2008
- Environment Act 2021
- Freedom of Information Act 2000
- Local Government Finance legislation (where grants are administered)
- Subsidy Control Act 2022 (where applicable)
- Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR – Public task.
- Article 6(1)(c) UK GDPR – Legal Obligation
In limited circumstances, where participation in a particular activity is voluntary and no other lawful basis applies, we may rely on Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR (consent). Where consent is relied upon, individuals may withdraw their consent at any time.
As outlined above, we also process personal data that is ‘special category data’ and ‘criminal offences data’. Where this is the case, we process such data on the following, additional, conditions:
Where we process special category data, we do so under Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR, where the processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest. The relevant condition under Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 is Paragraph 8 (Equality of opportunity or treatment), where processing is necessary to identify, monitor, review or promote equality of opportunity or treatment between different groups.
In some circumstances, where information is provided voluntarily, we may rely on Article 9(2)(a) UK GDPR (explicit consent).
7. Who do we share your data with?
The data you provide may be disclosed with other departments of the Council or external organisations for related purposes or as required by law. We may share information with the following types of organisations:
- Other Wealden District Council services
- East Sussex County Council
- Parish and Town Councils
- Funding organisations
- Partner organisations delivering projects
- Event venues
- Workshop facilitators
- Consultants and contractors
- IT service providers
- Government departments
- Regulatory bodies
In some circumstances, such as under a court order, we are legally obliged to share information, and we may also share information with the Police for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of criminal offences.
We may also share information internally, to verify or confirm your personal details, to ensure our records are accurate and up to date. Data held by this service will only be used by other internal departments or services when we are satisfied there is a lawful basis for doing so and is considered fair.
8. Do we use data processors?
Data processors are third parties who provide certain parts of our services for us. We have contracts in place with them, and they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do so. Our current data processors for this service are listed below
Data Processor | Purpose |
Microsoft 365 | Email, document storage and collaboration |
Microsoft Teams | Online meetings |
Let’s Talk Wealden – Granicus EngagementHQ – Granicus | Public consultation platform |
Meta | Social media engagement |
Orlo | Social media engagement manager |
Eventbrite | Event registration |
9. Transfer of personal data
Your personal data may be transferred to other organisations or jurisdictions where necessary to deliver our services or meet our legal obligations. Any such transfers will be carried out in accordance with data protection laws and appropriate safeguards will be applied to ensure your information remains secure and protected. This may include the use of approved contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms designed to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and security of your personal data.
10. Automated decision making
The Climate Change Team does not use automated decision making or profiling when processing your personal data.
11. Retention period
We process your personal data for the above purposes for no longer than necessary and in accordance with current legislation and the Councils Retention Schedule.
Only in exceptional circumstances will we hold your information for longer, for example a pending court case. All information will be held securely and disposed of confidentially.
12. Anonymising your data
Your personal information maybe converted into statistical or aggregated data that ensures that you cannot be identified from it. Anonymised data means it cannot be linked back to you as an individual and may be used to conduct research and analysis. This includes the preparations of statistics for use in our reports.
13. Your rights
Your rights are set out in the Data Protection legislation and include:
- the right to access your personal information, to request rectification or erasure of certain personal data
- information and to object to processing in certain circumstances
- the right to withdraw any consent you may have given to process your personal information
- the right to complain to the Information Commissioner (opens new window) if you feel we are processing your personal information unlawfully
- the right to restrict processing activity in certain circumstances
- the right to object to certain types of processing activity
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Governance team on informationgovernance@wealden.gov.uk in writing or by completing our online form.
If you are dissatisfied with how we have used your personal data, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner Office
14. Data Protection Officer
If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal data is handled, you can contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at dataprotection@wealden.gov.uk
15. Further information
We may take photographs or video recordings during events to promote the Council’s work and demonstrate the outcomes of publicly funded projects. Where appropriate, attendees will be informed in advance and given the opportunity to opt out where practicable.