BISHOP MIDDLEHAM PARISH COUNCIL

 

GENERAL PRIVACY NOTICE

 

Last Updated: January 2026
Review: January 2027

1. Your Personal Data – What Is It?

“Personal data” means any information about a living individual that allows them to be identified. This includes names, addresses, email addresses, photographs, identification numbers, and any information that can be linked to an individual.

2. Who Are We?

Bishop Middleham Parish Council is the data controller for the personal data we process. This means we decide how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

Other data controllers we may work with include:

  • Durham County Council
  • Community groups
  • Charities and not-for-profit organisations
  • Contractors working on behalf of the Council
  • Credit reference agencies

Where we share data with other controllers, each organisation is responsible for how it processes your data.

3. Personal Data We May Process

We may process some or all of the following personal data where necessary:

  • Names, titles, aliases, photographs
  • Contact details (addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses)
  • Information relating to services you request from the Council
  • Financial identifiers (bank details, payment information) where required for payments or contracts
  • Information relating to age, gender, marital status, nationality, education or work history where relevant
  • Special category data (e.g., health information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions) only where strictly necessary and lawful

4. Special Category Data

We may process special category data only where:

  • You have given explicit written consent
  • It is necessary for legal obligations
  • It is required for safeguarding or public interest purposes
  • It is needed to protect your vital interests

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data to:

  • Deliver public services
  • Contact you by post, email, telephone, or (for logistical updates only) WhatsApp
  • Maintain accounts and records
  • Manage contracts and financial transactions
  • Meet statutory and legal obligations
  • Prevent and detect fraud
  • Seek your views or feedback
  • Notify you of changes to services, events, or facilities
  • Support community engagement and council operations

6. Use of WhatsApp

The Council uses WhatsApp only for informal communication such as meeting logistics or availability updates. It is not used to process personal data or conduct council business.

7. Lawful Bases for Processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases:

  • Legal obligation
  • Public task (performing our statutory duties)
  • Contract
  • Consent (where required)
  • Legitimate interests (only where appropriate)

8. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your data with:

  • Other data controllers listed above
  • Contractors and suppliers working on behalf of the Council
  • Other local authorities or partner organisations where necessary

All third parties must comply with UK GDPR and implement appropriate security measures.

9. How Long We Keep Your Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary. Retention periods are set out in the Council’s Document Retention & Destruction Policy. Some records are kept permanently for legal, historical, or archival purposes.

10. Your Rights

You have the following rights over your personal data:

  • Right of access
  • Right to rectification
  • Right to erasure (where applicable)
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to object
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to withdraw consent (where consent is the lawful basis)
  • Right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

11. Security of Your Data

Electronic data is stored securely using Microsoft OneDrive, which provides encrypted storage and access controls. Councillors use official council email accounts for all council business.

12. Transfer of Data Abroad

Any personal data transferred outside the UK will only be sent to organisations with adequate data protection safeguards.

13. Further Processing

If we need to use your personal data for a new purpose, we will issue a new Privacy Notice explaining the change.

14. Changes to This Notice

This Privacy Notice is reviewed regularly and updated when necessary.

15. Contact Details

Data Controller:

Bishop Middleham Parish Council
c/o The Village Hall
Front Street
Bishop Middleham
County Durham
DL17 9AJ

Email: parishclerk@bishopmiddleham-pc.gov.uk