Privacy notice: Garden waste service

1. Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains types of personal information we may collect about you when you interact with us in relation to your garden waste services. It also explains how we will store and handle that information, as well as keep it safe and secure.

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 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:

Name
Address
Telephone number
Email address

4. How do we collect personal information?

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

In writing - via letter or email
Over the phone
Online forms

5. Why do we collect your personal information?

South Tyneside Council will collect, record, process and store the Personal Data of Residents who have subscribed to the Garden Waste Service for the purpose of fulfilling the contract between the Council and the Resident.

When signing up to the garden waste service online, you will be asked how you would like to receive information regarding service updates.

You will also be given the option to opt into direct marketing communications which will provide information about Council services, news, events, activities and promotions from South Tyneside Council and its partners. You will be able to opt out of this at any time.

We may contact you to participate in a customer satisfaction survey.

6. Who might we share your personal information with?

Your personal information will be shared with our printing and distribution contractor in order for you to receive your garden waste pack.

We have a data sharing agreement in place with our contractor. This ensures that all personal data is shared and processed in accordance with Data Protection Legislations.

7. How long will we keep your personal information?

The Council will process your Personal Data to offer the Garden Waste Services in future years.

Our contractor will hold Personal Data for the purposes of printing and distribution of initial letters and garden waste packs. Information will be securely disposed of 6 weeks after the ending of the garden waste season in November.

8. What is our legal basis for using your personal information?

The processing is necessary under Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the UK GDPR (after 1 January 2021) for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.

9. How do we keep your personal information secure?

Information provided for your garden waste subscription is held securely on our network. Only officers working within the Garden Waste Team have access to these records.

For the purposes of your garden waste pack printing and distribution, your personal data is sent securely to our contractor. We have a data sharing agreement in place with our contractor.

10. Is your personal information used overseas?

We will not process your personal information outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).

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.