Business Rates privacy notice

This Privacy Notice should be read in conjunction with Colchester City Council’s Privacy Policy.

Information collected

• Name
• Address (including occupation/vacation dates)
• Forwarding address
• Property owner’s name & address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Bank account details (where Direct Debit payer)

Agencies we might share your information with

• Vigilant (Essex County Council)
• Magnet Solutions (Locta)
• FDM
• His Majesty’s Revenues and Customs
• Police
• Capita Software Services
• Enforcement Agents
• The Cabinet Office (Spotlight)
• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Valuation Office Agency
• Other Council Departments including Building Control, Planning, Economic Development and Estates.

The purpose and lawful basis for processing

The lawful basis for the processing of your personal data is legal obligation.. Colchester City Council has a statutory duty to collect Business Rates and this is done under the Non-Domestic Rating (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) Regulations 1989. Your information is stored securely in Capita Revenues and Benefits, our preferred IT Business Rates software management system.

Length of time we keep your information

We may keep records relating to business rates dating back to 01/04/90. We keep your information as in some instances the Valuation Office Agency may alter rateable values of a hereditament which may impact on the amount of business rates owed to the Council. However, you do have the right to contact us and ask for your information to be removed where there is no obligation or statutory requirement for it to be kept. You can exercise this right by contacting businessrates@Colchester.gov.uk

How we protect and store your personal data

We take the confidentiality of personal information very seriously and use recognised security and access controls to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or corruption. We have procedures and processes in place to ensure that your personal information is managed appropriately.

Your information may be held outside of the UK. Where this is the case, we ensure that additional measures are in place to protect your data and to ensure that we continue to comply with data protection requirements.

Updates to this privacy notice

We will continually review and update this privacy notice to reflect changes in our processes and procedures, as well as to comply with changes in the law. When such changes occur, we will revise the "last updated" date at the bottom of this notice. We encourage you to periodically review this notice and to be informed of how we protecting your information.