Privacy Notice - Councillors' Personal Data

Please read the following Privacy Notice carefully.

The purpose of this Privacy Notice is to explain how and for what purposes we process your personal data. It applies to personal data that is processed electronically and on paper. 

Why we are collecting your data

Basildon Borough Council needs to collect your personal data because as Councillors you are the holders of public office and there is information that we hold about you which we share with the public and publish on our website.  This information can be processed by Basildon Borough Council (BBC) for any purpose relating to your role as a Councillor. In addition, the Council will hold other information about you which will be processed for the purposes of administering your role as a councillor and to improve services.

Information collected

• your image (for your security, personal ID and publication on the website)

• name, address, date of birth and contact details

• register of interests, which will include any occupation

• your election record, including any political group to which you belong

• the committees on which you serve and outside bodies to which you may be appointed

• your attendance at meetings

• webcasts made by the Council at meetings

• the allowances you receive

• gifts and hospitality you receive and

• any complaints about your conduct which the Joint Standards Committee decides to make public

The basis for the processing

• Legal Obligation - it is necessary to comply with the Law (not all data is published)

• Public task - the processing is necessary for you to perform a task in the public interest and for your official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law

Who your information will be shared with

• Relevant staff and to other bodies in accordance with policies and as required by law

• We have arrangements with a range of IT providers who support the Council's IT systems and services, therefore your data may be accessed by these suppliers. Where we have these arrangements there is always a contractual agreement with them to ensure they comply with the Data Protection Law

The Council has a duty to protect public funds and may use and disclose this information to prevent and detect crime. Information used in such circumstances may include:

• your bank details (if you claim allowances or receive a Basic or Special Responsibility Allowance)

• your date of birth, tax and NI (if applicable)

• marital status/next of kin (if supplied)

• details of any vehicle you use for council business (if you claim business mileage)

• telephone numbers and email address (if you supply these and do not want us to publish them),

• any complaints which have not been made public

• private communications with the Council

We will never sell your data, however it will be shared with third parties to:

• Comply with legal obligations and legislative requirements

• Help business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors to deliver any contract we enter with them or you

• To help if there is need of any professional or legal advice on a matter relating to you

• To help prevent fraud and/or tackle crime

• To improve and optimise the performance of our services

Provide accurate information

We need to hold accurate and up to date information about you so that we can deliver appropriate services. If any of your details change, you need to tell us as soon as possible so that we can update your records.

We will not:

• Use your information for marketing or sales purposes without your prior explicit consent.

• Send or store your data abroad unless it meets the requirements of the Data Protection regulations

• Make decisions about you based on automated processing.

How long will we hold your data for?

This information will be held securely until you cease to be a Borough Councillor and will be destroyed in accordance with the Council's Retention Policy. Some non-sensitive information will be maintained indefinitely and become part of the permanent and historical public records of Basildon Borough Council that may be accessed by the public through the Essex Records Office.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.  Any access requests are free of charge.
If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.
You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances ('right to be forgotten').

You have the right to ask us to stop or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances.  Where possible, we will seek to comply with your request, but we may need to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.

You can make any of these requests by:

• Email: Data Protection Officer

• Phone: 01268 533333

• Letter to:

If you are dissatisfied with how we have used your personal information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, by:

• Email: casework@ico.org.uk (opens new window)

• Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

• Letter to:

Further independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, see:

• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (opens new window).