Garden waste service - privacy notice

Services covered in this privacy notice:

Garden waste enquiries
Purchase of garden waste services

Information about how Trading Services use your personal data

Trading Services are committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. This Privacy Notice explains how Trading Services (as a Data Controller) collects, uses and protects personal information that we hold. Information may be collected on paper or online form, telephone, email, CCTV or by a member of our staff. All information is processed in accordance with Data Protection Legislation (GDPR) 2018.

You have provided your personal information to: Trading Services Department, St Helens Council, Hardshaw Brook Depot, Parr Street, St Helens, WA9 1JR

What is personal data?

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or with any other information the data controller may hold. The majority of personal data we hold will have been provided to us directly from you.

Who is the data controller and how can I get in touch?

St Helens Council is the data controller. We have an appointed Data Protection Officer who you can contact by email at: dataprotection@sthelens.gov.uk

What information we collect about you

The Recycling Service may collect and/or hold some, or all, of the following information about you in relation to your purchase of garden waste collections:

Personal name, address and contact details
Bank details (when paying for services)
Correspondence (emails, letters, notes of telephone conversations) 
Invoices and schedule of charges

Why we collect and use your personal data

St Helens Council has overall responsibility for a wide range of public services across our local authority area and it is necessary to collect personal data to enable those services to be delivered to residents, including;

Enter into, and fulfill an agreement for the purchase of goods and services
Deliver public services including all statutory services
Confirm your identity to provide some services
Contact you by post, email or telephone
Understand your needs to provide the services that you request
Understand what we can do for you and inform you of other relevant services and benefits
Obtain your opinion about our services
Update your customer record
Help us to build up a picture of how we are performing at delivering services to you and what services the people of St Helens Borough need
Prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the use of public funds
Allow us to undertake statutory functions efficiently and effectively
Make sure we meet our statutory obligations including diversity and equality

How we protect and use your information

Information we hold about you will be stored securely and will only be made available to those who have a right to see it. Council officers use this information to fulfil the waste collection contract we have with you. It is also used by relevant council departments, such as Accounts and Income, and external agencies where it is lawful and fair to do so. In each case we will only share the minimum amount of information, when required, for reasons already listed in this privacy notice and also:

With other St Helens Council services to:

Provide advice and assistance to you
Help carry out their legal duties, including the enforcement of regulations
Invoicing, billing

In addition, information may be shared with external agencies that we are required to consult with by law to help carry out their legal duties and enforcement of regulations, these may include:

Environment Agency
Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority
Courts
Other relevant government and enforcement agencies

The lawful basis for processing your information

We process your information for these purposes because it is necessary to carry out the legal functions of administering the service we provide to you and to keep you informed of any changes.

Consent: the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose (in relation to marketing information)
Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract with an individual, or because they have asked you to take specific steps before entering into a contract
Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for you to comply with the law; Environmental Protection Act 1990, The Waste (Duty of Care) Regulations 2005 and 2011, Any other relevant legislation, St Helens Council's Financial Regulations, St Helens Council Policies, The enforcement of regulations

Marketing

St Helens Council Trading Services provide information in relation to surveys relating to the services provided. This personal data is collected only where you provide your consent that you wish to be informed.

How long we keep your data?

Data is not held any longer than is necessary and the council follows legal, financial and regulatory requirements as well as professional best practice on how long information should be kept before destruction or archiving.

What rights do I have in relation to my data?

You have the right to request access to information about you that we hold. To make a request for your personal information, contact our Data Protection Officer, whose details are above.

You also have the right to:

Object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause or is causing, damage or distress
Prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
Object to decisions being taken by automated means
Have inaccurate data rectified

In certain circumstances, have personal data blocked, erased or destroyed; If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with us in the first instance.

Alternatively, if you are not satisfied with the resolution of your complaint then you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (Tel: 0303 123 1113, Online: https://ico.org.uk/, Post: Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF)

Changes to our Privacy Notice We regularly review our privacy notice and encourage you to check it from time to time. This notice was last updated in February 2020.