Who will own my data once I submit it?
Knowsley Council
Why do you need my information?
Strategic Housing require this information for the monitoring and identification of both private and social vacant dwellings in the borough so that the Council can;
- Maintain databases of long-term empty dwellings
- Take the appropriate steps to bring them back into use to meet housing needs and reduce homelessness
- Proactively engage with homeowners to offer advice and support designed to facilitate properties being brought back into use
- Prioritise long term empty home for enhanced action to bring them back into use/occupation
- Reduce the number of long-term empty homes which can become a focal point/target for hotspots for crime, anti-social behaviour and vandalism
What Personal Information do we collect?
We may collect all, or some, of the following information via the Councils Council Tax department, Land Registry or by issuing a notice under Section 16 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982:
- On a monthly basis, addresses of residential dwellings that are currently empty (social and private) including, council tax classification and Unique Property Reference
- On a monthly basis, a list of residential dwellings that have ceased being empty
- Personal details (e.g. name of owner/libel party)
- Once a residential dwelling has been empty for more than six months, the service will obtain contact details (e.g. home address/business address (if related to empty home) of owner/libel party, phone number, email address)
What allows you to use my information?
Strategic Housing will collect and use your data under the: -
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982
- Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2003 amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1992: “Vacant dwellings: use of information obtained for council tax purposes”
- Housing Act 1985, 2004
The lawful basis under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) is:
Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR: processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. In this case, the information is necessary to identify empty homes and the owners with the purpose of bringing the homes back into use for local residents.
Under some circumstances where an empty house is identified a priority to be returned to occupation to especially where it is affecting the area the local authority has a public duty to require an improvement. Your data will be sourced and used as part of this process to seek a warrant for inspection and with a view to taking appropriate action.
With your specific consent it will also be shared with any local businesses or landlords who may wish to contact you about helping to bring your property back into use.
Your data could also be shared with other local or national agencies to prevent crime, protect the public from harm or fraud and protect public funds.
Who will my information be shared with?
Depending on the exact situation we may share your data with different agencies related to the purpose for which it has been collected: -
- Community Safety
- Contractors involved in the delivery of Housing Assistance
- Contractors involved in the delivery of Energy Efficiency Schemes the Council has commissioned or is a partner to
- Legal Services
- Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
- Merseyside Police
- Neighbourhoods and Environmental Health
We will only share your information where a lawful basis applies.
Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don’t?
Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2003 amended the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to allow local authorities to use council tax data for certain purposes, including housing-related functions. This includes identifying empty properties:
Permitted Use: Local authorities are allowed to access limited council tax data—typically vacant property information – address and data relating to when it became empty, the name, address, and contact details of the property owners. This is used to engage with owners to encourage/support them to bring the properties back into use and where necessary to support housing enforcement and empty homes strategies.
How long will you keep this data for and why?
The data will be stored until we are aware that your property has returned to use or if we have supported you with a grant or loan your data will be kept for six years from the payment being made in line with local government best practice.
How will my information be stored?
All services under Strategic Housing will store your data on Knowsley Council’s secure system in Microsoft packages. Any paper records are kept securely on Council premises.
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
No
Will my data be transferred abroad and why?
No
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
Under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018/ UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have the following rights with regards to your personal data: -
- The right to subject access – you have the right to see a copy of the personal data that the council holds about you and find out what it is used for
- The right to rectification – you have the right to ask the council to correct or remove any inaccurate data that we hold about you
- The right to erasure (right to be forgotten) you have the right to ask the council to remove data that we hold about you
- The right to restriction – you have the right to ask for your information to be restricted (locked down) on council systems
- The right to data portability – you have the right to ask for your data to be transferred back to you or to a new provider at your request
- The right to object – you have the right to ask the council to stop using your personal data or to stop sending you marketing information, or complain about how your data is used
- The right to prevent automated decision making – you have the right to ask the council to stop using your data to make automated decisions about you or to stop profiling your behaviour (where applicable)
To find out more about your rights under the DPA 2018/UK GDPR, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website.
You can request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used by visiting our website here:
Subject access request | Knowsley Council
By email to: Inforights@knowsley.gov.uk
Or in writing to:
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Nutgrove Villa
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 6GA
Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is used?
You can complain directly to the Council’s Data Protection Team by writing to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Nutgrove Villa
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 6GA
Or email: data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details: -
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk