Privacy Policy

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives individuals a right to find out what information is held about them. It governs how we collect, use and process personal information. The Act gives you the right to ensure our records are correct and up to date  and to have them amended if they aren't.

Cheshire Archives and Local Studies’ website is hosted by Cheshire East Council and the following policy relates to the use of this website. The eight principles of Data Protection, which Cheshire East Council is committed to upholding are:

1. Processing must be fair and lawful;
2. The information we obtain must be for specific and lawful purposes;
3. The information must be adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes;
4. The information must be accurate and kept up to date;
5. We must not hold the information for longer than is necessary;
6. We must process your information in accordance with your rights;
7. The information must be subject to the appropriate technical and organisational security measures;
8. We must not transfer the information outside the European Union unless the country in question provides adequate security.

What rights do I have under the Data Protection Act?

• To be told what information we hold about you, both in paper and electronically.
• To be told what we're using the information for.
• For processing to be stopped if you believe the processing will cause you damage or distress.
• Not have your information used for direct marketing.

When we ask you for personal information, we promise:

• to make sure you know why we need it;
• to only ask for what we need, and not to collect too much or irrelevant information;
• to protect it and make sure nobody has access to it who shouldn’t;
• to let you know if we share it with other organisations to give you better public services - and if you can say no;
• to make sure we don’t keep it longer than necessary; and
• not to make your personal information available for commercial use without your permission.

In return, we ask you to:

• give us accurate information; and
• tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes, such as a new address.
  This helps us to keep your information reliable and up to date.

You can get more details on:

• how to find out what information we hold about you and how to ask us to correct any mistakes;
• agreements we have with other organisations for sharing information;
• circumstances where we can pass on your personal information without telling you, for example, to prevent and detect crime or to produce anonymised statistics;
• our instructions to staff on how to collect, use and delete your personal information;
• how we check the information we hold is accurate and up to date; and
• how to make a complaint.

How can I find out what information is held about me?

You must make your request in writing, you can send us a letter or an e-mail.

To help us find the information we hold we will need:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Your address and previous addresses, if they are relevant
• Details of any services within Cheshire East Council that you have had dealings with.
• If you can provide us with details of any reference numbers or names of staff that you have had contact with this will help us find all the information we have.
• On receiving your request we will confirm your identity and will not release any information until we have done so.

Please send your request to:

The Data Protection Officer
Cheshire East Council
Westfields
Middlewich Road
Sandbach
Cheshire
CW11 1HZ

Tel: (01270) 686606

Email: foi@cheshireeast.gov.uk

For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data-sharing issues, you can contact:

The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545745
Fax: 01625 524510
Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
Website: Information Commissioner's Office