Planning service privacy notice

Our planning service operates under the General Data Protection Regulation in regards to the processing and holding of planning application information.

Processing planning applications

Relevant data you have supplied to us for your planning application will be made public where it is a legislative requirement (for the purpose of advertising your planning application), however, your sensitive personal data (email address, phone number etc.), will not be made public.

Sensitive personal data such as email addresses and phone numbers will only be used to help process your application(s).

Once your application has had a decision, we are required, by Planning Law, to keep certain documents from your application indefinitely. These documents are: Application form; certificate of ownership; site plan; approved plans/drawings; design & access statement; decision notice; planning obligations (if applicable).

If your application is refused, we will keep all your documents for 3 months (if householder) or 6 months (non-householder) in the event that we receive an appeal. 

All other documents will be disposed of confidentially, however, there are certain applications that will require us to keep all documents, i.e. major developments and listed building applications. 

Commenting on planning applications

Our planning service operates under the General Data Protection Regulation in regards to the processing and holding of your details supplied by way of making a comment on a planning application. 

Your details (name and address) and your comment will be made visible on our website during the course of the application being determined. 

Once the application has had a decision (approved; refused; withdrawn), your name; address and comment will be removed from the public website but will still be visible on our internal system only. 

Should an application go to appeal, we will forward your comment to the Planning Inspectorate as part of that process.

Please note that comments cannot be treated as confidential (including your name and address); please do not include any other personal information, such as phone numbers or personal email addresses.

More information

• Oxford City Council’s Corporate Privacy Notice. 
• Our Data Protection Policy
• Data Protection and your rights
• How to make a data protection request or raise privacy concerns or questions

If you have any questions about how your data will be used or stored, or wish to change the contact information we hold for you, please contact planning@oxford.gov.uk or call 01865 529113.