Data Protection Privacy Notice

Service: Revenues and Benefits

Processing Activity: Business Rates (Non-Domestic Rates)

The Data Controller, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, EX16 6PP.

Tel: 01884 255255

Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) is registered as a data controller with the Information Commission (registration number Z5826451).

The Data Protection Officer: Contactable by emailing dpo@middevon.gov.uk

What we collect and why

We MAY collect the following information as part of our duty to assess liability to pay Non-Domestic Rates within Mid-Devon:

Name and/or business name
Address
Telephone
Email
Financial information
Details of occupancy/lease/freehold of property
Company status
Financial information i.e. accounts/bank statements and rent receipts etc
Information which has been provided to the Council to support an application or relief from rates

The main source of collection of your personal data will be from you as a rateable occupier of non-domestic hereditament in Mid Devon. Your information may also be referred to us by a third party such as:

Landlord,
Tenant,
Agent,
Previous or new occupier,
Other local authorities,
The Charity Commission,
Insolvency Service, and
the Valuation Office Agency

and other internal services:

Environmental Health,
Building Control,
Council Tax,
Development Management,
Property Services,
Streetscene, and

We are using your personal information for the purpose of administering business rates (including billing, collection and enforcement) and maintaining a database of ratepayers and on the basis of a legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) and public task (Article 6(1)(c)). Our statutory duty arising from the Local Government Finance Act 1988, as amended.

Who will receive and see the personal data

Your personal information will be available to be seen by those within the Revenues and Benefits Service for the purpose of administering your account and maintaining a database of ratepayers and with support services (such as Finance and Legal) when necessary to carry out the purpose.

Information about you (including partnerships), may also be shared with other service areas including:

Council Tax to establish liability,
Planning Enforcement in relation to identifying rateable occupier, buildings and activities.

Your name and contact information may also be shared with the following department when necessary for them to carry out their regulatory functions:

Environmental Health,
Building Control,
Streetscene, and
Licensing

We may also share information with our corporate safety officer when our staff safety is viewed as being at risk.

Information may also be shared with partner agencies during safeguarding investigations; with the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) for fraud identification and prevention; and in relation to our Prevent duty pursuant to the Counter Terrorism Act and associated legislation.

Externally, we may share information about including your name, address and contact information with other Local Authorities, and information about your account status with Enforcement Agents, Insolvency firms and courts in relation to debt recovery Account information may also be shared with the Valuation Office Agency for the purpose of assessing valuations and any information we hold about you may be shared with DWP and HMRC. Information about debts owed by you to the council may be provided to the insolvency service in response to requests received under the The Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.

Your billing information is processed by external printers acting on the council’s behalf.

Your personal information will be stored securely and will not be accessible to anyone else, including other services within the Council, unless detailed above.

Retention

All your personal information will be held by us only for as long as is necessary and then in accordance with any legal requirements imposed upon us and the MDDC’s retention schedule. For more information please go to our website to view our Retention Schedule.

Transferring personal information outside of the EU

Your personal information will not be transferred outside the EU or to any international organisations by the Council unless it is done lawfully. It should be noted that the Council has no control over those accessing its online public registers nor what someone does with any information they obtain from them.

Your rights

Whatever our use of your personal information you have the right of access to that personal information (this means confirmation that we are using your personal information, access to it as well as other detail) and the right to seek rectification if the information is inaccurate.

As we are processing your personal data on the basis of public task and legal obligation, you have the right to object and to restrict processing.

Also, if you object to our use of your personal information and there is no overriding legitimate interest for us to continue using it or we have used your personal information unlawfully or it is no longer necessary for us to have the personal information, the right to erasure is also available to you.

Details on each of these rights and to how you exercise can be found on our website Here.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has used your personal information then you may wish in the first instance to make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer. This can be done by;

Writing to: Data Protection Officer, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, EX16 6PP.

You can also email: DPO@middevon.gov.uk .

Alternatively, or if you remain dissatisfied following your complaint to the Data Protection Officer, you may lodge a complaint with The Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights. The IC can help and advise you on all matters relating to data protection.

Information Commission

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

Email: casework@ico.org.uk