Leeds Parish Council Website Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Leeds Parish Council collects, uses and protects personal information when you use the Parish Council website at www.leedsparishcouncil.gov.uk or contact the Council through the website.

Leeds Parish Council is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy applies to the Leeds Parish Council website. It does not apply to external websites that we may provide links to.

Who is responsible for your information?

Leeds Parish Council is the Data Controller for personal information collected through this website where the Council determines how and why that information is used.

You can contact the Parish Council about data protection matters at:

Leeds Parish Council
4 Birkhall Close
Chatham
Kent
ME5 7QD

Telephone: 01634 867173
Email: [email protected]

Information we may collect

When you use this website or contact the Parish Council, we may collect information including:

• your name;
• your email address;
• your telephone number, where provided;
• your postal address, where relevant;
• information contained within correspondence or enquiries you send to us; and
• technical information relating to your use of the website, where this is collected by the website platform.

We will only ask for personal information that is necessary for the purpose for which it is being collected.

How we use your personal information

Personal information submitted through the website or by email will only be used for appropriate Parish Council purposes.

This may include:

• responding to enquiries;
• dealing with reports or concerns raised by residents;
• providing information about Parish Council services or activities;
• administering Council services and facilities;
• fulfilling the Council's legal and statutory responsibilities;
• maintaining appropriate Council records; and
• communicating with residents and other organisations where necessary.

The lawful basis on which we process your information will depend on the reason it has been provided. This may include processing that is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest, compliance with a legal obligation, the legitimate interests of the Council where appropriate, performance of a contract, or your consent where consent is required.

Contacting the Parish Council

If you contact the Parish Council through the website or by email, the information you provide will be received by the Parish Clerk.

Your correspondence may be shared with Parish Councillors, Council staff, contractors, public authorities or other organisations where this is necessary to deal with your enquiry or carry out the Council's functions.

We will not sell your personal information or provide it to third parties for commercial marketing purposes.

Sharing your information

There may be circumstances where the Parish Council needs to share information with another organisation.

Depending on the nature of your enquiry, this could include:

• Maidstone Borough Council;
• Kent County Council;
• Kent Police;
• other public authorities or statutory bodies;
• contractors or professional advisers acting on behalf of the Parish Council; or
• the Council's website and IT service providers.

Information will only be shared where there is an appropriate reason and lawful basis for doing so.

How long we keep your information

Personal information will only be kept for as long as it is required for the purpose for which it was collected and in accordance with the Parish Council's document retention requirements.

The length of time information is retained will depend on the nature of the information and any legal, financial or administrative requirements that apply.

Cookies and website information

Like most websites, the Leeds Parish Council website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable the website to function correctly and to understand how the website is being used.

Some cookies may be essential for the operation of the website. Other cookies or technologies may be provided by the website platform or third-party services embedded within the website.

Where consent is legally required for non-essential cookies, users will be given the appropriate choice through the website's cookie controls.

You can also control or delete cookies through your web browser settings.

Links to other websites

The Leeds Parish Council website contains links to external websites and services operated by other organisations.

Leeds Parish Council is not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of external websites. You should refer to the privacy policy of the relevant organisation when visiting another website.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you have rights under data protection legislation in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:

• be informed about how your personal information is used;
• request access to personal information held about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances;
• request restriction of the processing of your information;
• object to certain types of processing;
• request the transfer of your information in certain circumstances; and
• withdraw your consent where processing is based on consent.

Not all rights apply in every circumstance.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Parish Clerk at [email protected].

Complaints

If you have concerns about the way Leeds Parish Council has handled your personal information, please contact the Parish Clerk in the first instance:

Email: [email protected]

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

Further information about your data protection rights is available from the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Leeds Parish Council may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, Council practices or the operation of the website.

Last reviewed and updated: 10 September 2026