Guidance

Bat Advice Service privacy notice

Updated 13 November 2024

Applies to England

Who collects your personal data

The data controller is Natural England at:

Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green, York, Y01 7PX

Send questions about how Natural England uses your personal data and your associated rights to the Data Protection Manager at foi@naturalengland.org.uk or:

Natural England, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

The Data Protection Officer for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) group is responsible for checking that Natural England complies with legislation. You can contact them at DefraGroupDataProtectionOfficer@defra.gov.uk or:

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, SW Quarter, 2nd floor, Seacole Block, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

What personal data’s collected and how it’s used

Natural England will use your data to provide the advice you need. This includes:

• producing a formal advice letter
• arranging a visit by a Volunteer Bat Roost Visitor (VBRV)
• providing follow-up advice
• providing verbal advice over the phone
• requesting feedback

If an accident or near miss occurs during a VBRV’s visit, Natural England will process your data as part of the required investigation.

Natural England will process sensitive health data if it relates to an issue with bats in your property.

The legal basis for processing your personal data

Processing your data is necessary for the:

• performance of a task carried out in the public interest - the provision of statutory bat advice to the public
• exercise of official authority vested in the data controller

Natural England must process sensitive health data:

• for public health reasons - to keep people safe, such as members of the public and VBRVs
• to meet its duty of care to VBRVs under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Consent to process your data

The processing of your data is not based on consent. You cannot withdraw it.

Who Natural England shares your personal data with

Natural England shares your data with the Bat Advice Service contractor, so it can provide the advice you need.

Natural England shares information the VBRV recorded in Part B of the roost report form with the National Biodiversity Network. Natural England may also share this roost information with scientific researchers, on request.

If Natural England finds a wildlife crime has been committed, it will share the data with the police. The data may form part of any consequent criminal investigation.

Natural England respects your personal privacy when responding to access to information requests. Natural England only shares information when necessary to meet the statutory requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

How long Natural England holds personal data

Natural England will keep your personal data for 7 years after a bat roost visit.

What happens if you do not provide the data

Failure to provide your data will mean that Natural England is unable to provide the statutory advice you need.

Use of automated decision-making or profiling

The information you provide is not used for:

• automated decision making (making a decision by automated means without any human involvement)
• profiling (automated processing of personal data to evaluate certain things about an individual)

Transfer of data outside the European Economic Area (EEA)

Natural England will not transfer your date outside the EEA.

Your rights

Find out about your individual rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018.

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time.

Natural England’s personal information charter

Natural England’s personal information charter explains more about your rights over your personal data.