Tree work applications / request for service privacy notice

Introduction

This notice provides additional privacy information regarding Tree Work Applications/Requests for service.

We will keep our privacy notice under regular review and will advise you of any updates on our website.

This Notice was last reviewed in March 2024.

Who we are

For the purposes of Data Protection legislation, South Tyneside Council is the Data Controller.

What type of personal information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Name
Address
Telephone number
Email address
I.P address
Medical information only if relevant (e.g., lack of wheelchair access, partially sighted)
Contact information will be collected for communication regarding the application
Property details relevant to the proposed tree work and identifying the location of the tree(s) in question

How we collect personal information

We may collect your personal information in a number of ways, for example:

Input via the Council's contact centre
A web form on Council website
Input directly into Ezytreev via direct contact with the Tree team.
The Ezytreev system will integrate with other Council systems for the sharing of data

Why we collect your personal information

We collect and process your personal information for the purpose of managing and accessing tree work applications and requests for service. This includes:

Low hanging branches over the highway
Encroachment into property
Blockage of light
Shedding of leaves and branches

Who we might share your personal information with

Your information may be shared with relevant departments within the local authority for the purpose of application processing.

If your request for service requires that work is carried out on a tree we may share, when relevant your data with our third-party contractor: Glendale Services.

Other than Glendale Services, we will not share your personal information with any other third-parties unless we ask you for permission, or if we have a legal obligation to do so.

If we contract with another third-party this privacy notice will be updated to reflect the change.

How long we will keep your personal information

We will retain your personal information for 6 years for the purpose of carrying out tree inspections and work and assessing requests for service patterns over time.

All general enquiries will be kept for 6 years
Enquiries relating to education sites is kept for 21 years

Our legal basis for using your personal information

To use your personal information there must be a lawful basis to do this, such as, through a contract, performing a public task or where there is a legal obligation.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing this information is:

(e) We need it to perform a public task.

The information processing is required in the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. By providing personal information and contact details, the Tree Officer can contact whoever has submitted the request so that they can ensure the correct tree/s is identified and keep them updated. The Council have a Duty of Care (including Highways Act) to maintain the tree stock in a safe manner.

How we keep your personal information secure

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of your personal information and protect it from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.

Overseas use of your personal information

N/A all data is stored within the UK.

Your rights

Your individual rights are set out in law. Subject to some legal exemptions, you have the following rights:

Right to be informed
Right of access
Right to rectification
Right to erasure
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object
Rights in relating to automated decision making and profiling

Contact us

If you would like to exercise your rights in relation to your personal information, or you feel that something has gone wrong with your personal information, you can contact us in either of the following ways:

By email: data.protection@southtyneside.gov.uk
By telephone: 0191 424 6539
In writing: South Tyneside Council, Information Governance, Town Hall and Civic Offices, South Shields, NE33 2RL

If you feel that the Council has not handled your information correctly you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO is the Government's Independent Body responsible for overseeing data protection. In most cases the ICO will only review cases that have exhausted the Council's internal procedures.

The ICO's contact details are as follows: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF. More information can be found on the ICO's website at www.ico.org.uk.