Privacy and Personal Data

Privacy Notice - Business Rates

West Devon Borough Council takes your privacy seriously. We will use your information in order to charge and collect business rates accordingly. This notice sets out what we will do with your personal information and who we may share it with in respect of the above.

What information about you do we collect?

We collect the following information:

  • Name of the liable party
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
  • Owners of premises
  • Registered office
  • Bank details for customers paying by direct debit

How do we collect information about you?

Relevant personal data will be collected:

  • Directly from the data subject
  • From other Council departments
  • HMRC – Valuation Office Agency
  • The Land Registry
  • Companies House
  • Charities Commission

How will your personal data be used?

Your personal data will be used in the following ways:

  • To charge and collect business rates under the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1988
  • To recover unpaid business rates
  • To assess and apply any relevant reliefs
  • To assist and apply any relevant exemptions
  • To resolve any complaints made against the service
  • For the detection of fraud, including the use of data-matching initiatives to protect public funds
  • To ensure safe systems of work for visiting staff who meet ratepayers
  • To charge and collect Business Improvement District (BID) Levy under The Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004

The Legal basis for processing your data

  • Article 6 1(c) processing is necessary for the compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject. Local authorities are legally obligated to charge and collect business rates under the Local Government Finance Act 1988
  • Article 6 1(e) 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. Local authorities are required to charge and collect business rates under the Local Government Finance Act 1988

Who will your personal data be shared with?

Your personal data is securely shared with the following organisations, where it is necessary to do so:

  • Representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
  • Local and Central Government
  • Other council departments
  • Ombudsman and regulatory authorities
  • Courts and tribunals
  • Enforcement agents
  • Debt collection and tracing agencies
  • Police forces
  • Regulatory bodies
  • HMRC
  • Law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
  • National Fraud Initiative

The Councils will never sell your data to anyone else.

Transferring of data outside of the EU

Your data will not be transferred outside of the EU. It will be securely stored electronically within the UK only, unless it was necessary for safeguarding or for the prevention and detection of crime.

Length of time we keep your information

The Council will retain personal data for no longer than 6 years from when the record was created, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1988

Individual Rights

You have a number of rights under the General Data Protection Regulations. These can be found on the ICO website

Data Controller

The data controller for your information is:

West Devon Borough Council
Kilworthy Park
Drake Road
Tavistock
PL19 0BZ

Data Processor

The data processor for your information is:

West Devon Borough Council
Kilworthy Park
Drake Road
Tavistock
PL19 0BZ

Data Protection Officer

The Council has a duty to appoint a Data Protection Officer. The Council's nominated Data Protection Officer is Drew Powell.

West Devon Borough Council
Kilworthy Park
Drake Road
Tavistock
PL19 0BZ

If you have any queries, would like to exercise your rights or make a complaint, contact the Data Protection Officer by

  • Email
  • telephone 01803 861234 or
  • write to them at the address above

If you are not happy with how we have handled your complaint, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office to make a complaint about what we do with your information:

  • Telephone them on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
  • Visit their website 
  • Write to them at

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF