Privacy Notice
We are the Planning & Building Control Directorate (P&BC) which forms part of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) and includes the Planning Committee under powers and functions delegated by the Department.
The Directorate is responsible for taking decisions in respect of applications for approval under the Town and Country Planning and Building Control Acts and Regulations. In order to do this, we collect personal information, including names, addresses, contact details and other information that may be considered relevant to the application(s).
Anything submitted as part of a planning application, an application for Advertisement, Registered Building Consent, Certificate of Lawful Development or Use or registration of a building is usually made available to the public which enables third party comment. Similarly, anything submitted by a third party is generally also publically available.
If there is sensitive information which should not be publically available then the Department may be asked to redact the detail, although in doing so it may not be possible to take the redacted information into account when taking a decision.
Information submitted in respect of Building Regulations is not published and is not generally publically available.
Information submitted as part of the Planning Enforcement process is generally confidential, particularly while a case is 'live' due to a potential compromise of any resulting legal action.
Requests under the Freedom of Information Act may result in information being released. Any enforcement cases brought for formal action, where information collected may constitute evidence, would also be released.
The Directorate is located at:
Murray House
Mount Havelock
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM1 2SF
Telephone:+44 1624 685950
Email: Send Email
What information is being collected
- Applicant, Consultee, Contributor, Agent names and contact details
- Parties to any alleged breach
- Site relationships
- Circumstances/evidence/photographs
- Bank details to enable payments
- Historical information as to built structure
- Vehicle registration numbers
How your information is collected
- Application forms
- Written copy or email as comment on applications
- Notes taken from persons at our counter or over the phone
- Responses to public/stakeholder consultations
- Website forms
- Registration for and via an ‘alert service’
- Social media (evidence gathering)
- Details provided over the phone or email
Why we collect it and how we will use the information we collect about you
The Directorate will use your information to comply with its statutory functions for the determination of applications and, if necessary, to effect any enforcement action.
For example but not limited to:
- Town and Country Planning Acts and subordinate Regulations
- Building Control Acts and subordinate Regulations
- Area Plans, Policy documents Standing Orders, Codes of Conduct, procedural functions set down
- Payment of Members Expenses and Local Authority Acts
The Directorate has a statutory obligation to:
- process applications
- provide the service which supports interaction and obligations with set down procedures
- take payments
- maintain registers
- maintain historic data relevant to buildings
- administer action to ensure compliance with legislation
Any information and documentation collected by P&BC (publicizing all planning detail) may in turn be used by wider authorities to:
- comply with statutory functions
- help prevent and detect crime including fraud
- money laundering
- identity theft or other criminal offences
We may also use customer detail as part of appropriate contract groups and relevant mail shots.
How we share the information we collect about you
Third parties we may share your data with include:
- all information processed by the Directorate in support of the assessment of planning applications is and must be accessible to the public either at our public counter, via our Online service or the Local Authority
- enforcement information is closed and confidential, but can be published in cases of formal action or requests under Freedom of Information
- Building Control detail is only shared in the form of statistical detail
Who we will share your information with
- Local and Public Authorities, private individuals and bodies in compliance with statute, maintenance of the 'Registers' and to assist in the determination of planning and building control applications
- Isle of Man Government Departments, Boards and Offices in seeking relevant input enabling applications to be determined and conducting investigations as to alleged breaches. This includes the conveyance of data ownership to the Public Records Office
- Legal advice in processing documents in support of applications, and in support of the planning enforcement function
Please Note – Archive application images accessible via our online services will be considered for redaction on request
Protecting your information
The Department will:
- keep your information safe and secure in compliance with its information security policy
- only use and disclose your information as necessary and as detailed in this guide
- retain the information for no longer than is necessary and your information will then be permanently deleted
Your rights
You have a right to access your personal data to ensure that it is accurate, and to request that it is rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed if it is inaccurate.
To make any request relating to your data held by us, please contact the Data Protection Officer for Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you may also complain to the Information Commissioner or the relevant supervisory authority. You may also have a right to other remedies.
More Information
You can find out more information including:
- Looking at the Isle of Man Government Privacy Policy
- Contacting our Data Protection Officer (see back page)
- Making a subject access request which is a request for all of the personal data we hold about you.
Obtaining this information in large print, braille, or in an alternative language.
