Privacy Notice - Strategic Planning

Spelthorne Borough Council has collected your personal information to allow us to undertake Strategic Planning (Planning Policy) work. This work includes:

  • preparing Local Plans and associated planning policies, documents and guidance,
  • monitoring development,
  • working with neighbouring authorities, Surrey County Council and other stakeholders (including Highways England, the Environment Agency, Natural England) on strategic planning matters,
  • involvement in national infrastructure projects such as Heathrow Airport expansion.

In order to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation, Spelthorne Borough Council must provide you with the following information about the personal information you give to us or we receive from third parties:

What information does the Council collect?

  • we collect names, addresses and other contact details from representations received during Strategic Planning consultations.  We are unable to accept anonymous representations
  • basic personal information including name, address, the name of the organisation you may be responding on behalf of and contact details
  • information relating to expressed opinions or intentions in respect of planning policy consultations
  • information about land or property that you have submitted to the strategic planning team for consideration for allocation in the Local Plan or other strategic planning document

Why does the Council process personal information?

The Strategic Planning Team collects personal data to fulfil our statutory duty and help us deliver sustainable development. We are processing this data in order to produce a Local Plan and have a legal obligation to do so as stated under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

When we process your information for the competition, we are doing so under the basis of the UK General Data Protection Regulation Article 6(1)(e) processing is necessary for the performance of a public task.

Who does the Council share your personal information with?

  • we may share personal data with other departments within the Council.  This may include Council Legal Services, Land Charges, Planning, Housing Strategy, Customer Services and Elected Members
  • Judicial Agencies eg Courts, The Planning Inspectorate
  • we will not provide personal data to anyone else or use the data about you for any other purpose unless the law allows or requires us to

How long does the Council keep your information?

Records are kept in accordance with the Council's retention schedule and we will not keep your information for longer than necessary.

We will normally retain your details throughout the process of producing a Local Plan, which can take up to 10 years. Once a new Local Plan has been adopted we will consider the need to retain your information, and may contact you to check the details we hold are up-to-date, and that you wish to be contacted about future Local Plan work.For further information about how the Council uses your personal information, including your rights as a data subject, please see below. 

If you have any direct enquiries, Spelthorne Borough Council's Data Protection Officer can be contacted at data.protection@spelthorne.gov.uk.

The UK GDPR provides the various rights regarding your personal information; for further information please see the data protection rights page on our website.

Last modified: 17/09/2025