Privacy notice for Community and Place requests for service

1. Introduction

This notice provides privacy information relating to 'Requests for Service' from the South Tyneside Council's Community and Place service delivery teams.

This privacy notice will be regularly reviewed, and the latest version will be accessible on the Council's website.

This notice was created on 30 October 2024.

2. Who we are

For the purposes of data protection legislation, South Tyneside Council is the data controller.

3. What type of personal information do we collect?

We may collect the following types of personal information from you, when dealing with your service requests:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Any relevant medical information that you provide (if you felt that your medical condition was relevant to your service request). We will not collect any medical information unless you specifically ask us to
  • Contact information will be collected to enable communication, if required, relating to your service request
  • Property details relevant to the service request, to identify the location where the service may be required

4. How do we collect personal information?

There are several ways in which we may collect your personal information; examples include:

  • By telephone via the Council's Contact Centre  
  • Completion of a web form on the Council's website  
  • Input directly from the Streetscene and Greenspace teams
  • Member enquiries on behalf of residents

5. Who might we share your personal information with?

We collect and process your personal information for the purpose of managing service requests. These include:

  • Street cleansing issues
  • Grounds maintenance, grass cutting and horticultural matters
  • Weed growth
  • Parks and open spaces management and maintenance
  • Area quality monitoring

6. Who might we share your personal information with?

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

If your request for service requires grounds maintenance, grass cutting or weed control then we may share relevant information such as address and contact details (should you wish to be contacted) with the Council's third-party service providers for the relevant service.

These service providers are Glendale Services for ground's maintenance and horticulture, Tivoli Services for grass cutting and grounds management of cemeteries / the crematorium and Complete Weed Control for weed management.

Other than the three service providers listed above; we will not share your personal information with any other third-parties without your permission, or unless we have a legal obligation to do so.

If the Council contracts with any other third-party for the provision of Community and Place services, then this privacy notice will be updated to reflect such change.

7. How long will we keep your personal information?

The Council will retain your personal information for a minimum of 6 years, from the date upon which you provide the information.

  • All general enquiries will be kept for 6 years
  • Enquiries relating to education sites are retained for 21 years

8. What is 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, where performing a public task or where there is a legal obligation to do so.

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.

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 relevant Council Officer can contact whoever has submitted the request to keep them informed, to ensure that the appropriate action is being taken and to check any details.

9. How do we keep your personal information secure?

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

10. Is your personal information used overseas?

No, information is not used overseas, and all data is stored within the UK.

11. What are 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

12. 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.