Planning and development privacy notice
Read this alongside the Trafford Council privacy notice for information that applies to all services.
This page explains how we collect and use personal information in planning and development.
What information we collect
We may collect:
- Name, address and contact details
- Information about your property or land
- Planning application forms, plans, drawings and supporting documents
- Objections, comments and representations you make on applications
- Pre‑application advice requests and related documents
- Photographs, videos or site inspection notes
- Records of planning enforcement investigations
- Details of relevant qualifications or experience for professional agents
Some of this may include special category data such as:
- Information about your health if relevant to your application or representation
- Information about alleged offences (for enforcement cases)
Why we collect your information
We use your information to:
- Process and decide planning applications and related consents
- Maintain the public planning register as required by law
- Investigate and take action on possible breaches of planning control
- Provide planning policy and advice services
- Monitor development and land use
- Meet our legal duties under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and related legislation
Our lawful basis
The main legal bases we use are:
- Public task – to carry out our duties under planning law
- Legal obligation – to comply with statutory requirements, including publishing certain planning information
For special category and criminal offence data, we rely on:
- Substantial public interest – under UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018, for the purpose of protecting the public and fulfilling statutory planning functions
Who we share your information with
We may share your information with:
- Other council teams, such as building control, highways and environmental health
- Statutory consultees, such as the Environment Agency or Historic England
- The Planning Inspectorate (for appeals)
- The courts, where planning decisions are challenged
- The police or other enforcement agencies where necessary
We are required by law to publish certain planning application information online, including applicant details, site location and supporting documents.
We will remove or redact personal data such as personal phone numbers, email addresses and signatures before publication.
How long we keep your information
Planning application records are kept permanently as part of the statutory planning register.
Other planning records, such as enforcement case files, are kept in line with statutory and council retention schedules.
Automated decision‑making
Planning and development does not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing.
Contact us
If you have questions about how we use your information in planning and development, see the contact us section in the primary privacy notice.