Land Charges

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

This Privacy Notice sets out what personal data we will use, how we will use it, and why we need to in respect of providing Local Land Charges searches, collecting monies owed to us by you for carrying out certain searches, supplying copies of legal documents revealed on a search if requested and responding to general enquires. 

Information collected. 

We collect and process personal data that you provide to us which may include: 

• Name 
• Address including postcode. 
• Email Address 
• Telephone number  

Agencies we may share your data with 

Whilst working with you, we may share your information with some of the following third parties: 

• Solicitors / conveyancers  
• Other departments of the council 
• Other councils 
• His Majesty’s Land Registry 

His Majesty’s Land Registry - Local Land Charges Migration Programme 

Colchester City Council is currently undertaking the Local Land Charges (LLC) Migration Programme to transfer the existing Local Land Charges Register to His Majesty’s Land Registry (HMLR). As part of this statutory programme, data held within the Local Land Charges Register will be reviewed, validated, and prepared for transfer. 

The programme may require the use of personal data already collected and listed in this privacy notice, strictly for the purposes of ensuring accurate migration and meeting legal obligations. All information processed during the migration will continue to be handled securely and in compliance with data protection legislation. 

The purpose and lawful basis for processing 

The lawful basis for the processing of your personal data is legal obligation. Colchester City Council requires the above information in accordance with The Local Land Charges Act 1975. We only request the minimum amount of information and ensure that is it stored securely. 

In addition, the processing of data for the Local Land Charges Migration Programme is carried out under the statutory provisions of the Infrastructure Act 2015, which transfers responsibility for Local Land Charges registers from local authorities to HM Land Registry and requires the validation and migration of existing register data.  

How long will we keep your personal data? 

We will only hold your personal data for as long as necessary and in line with our retention schedules. 

Details of a search request received will be held for 6 years.  We retain copies of legal documents that make up the Local Land Charges register is held as a permanent record. 

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.  

We use cloud providers and online application providers to help us run our business.  Therefore, the use of some of our systems may include the transfer of your personal data to other countries. Your data will only be transferred to other countries which have adequate provision in place to protect personal data to an equivalent level as personal data held in the UK. 

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 on this notice. We encourage you to periodically review this notice and to be informed of how we are protecting your information.