Guidance

Landscape Recovery Project development phase (pilot) privacy notice

Updated 27 March 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-privacy-notices/landscape-recovery-project-development-phase-pilot-privacy-notice

Landscape Recovery focuses on large-scale and ambitious land use change and habitat restoration to support Environmental Improvement Plan targets. The scheme is open to all farmers and land managers across England on a competitive application basis.

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 Natural England Data Protection Manager at RecordsandDataProtection@naturalengland.org.uk  or:

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

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

The personal data we collect about you includes:

  • name
  • contact details including addresses, emails and phone numbers
  • application, permit and licence details
  • employment (including payroll and time sheets), education and training
  • relationship (such as lead applicant, agent)
  • opinions, activities and appearance (for example survey, photos, visual and audio recordings)
  • documentation submitted as evidence of grant expenditure (to include but not limited to: bank statements, receipts, third party quotes, timesheets, payslips, payroll, BACs reports and project reports)
  • bank details (for those making claims during enrolment and project development, and from prospective agreement holders)

We use your personal data to administer the Landscape Recovery Project development phase pilot scheme which includes:

  • checking eligibility to receive payments
  • processing applications and variations
  • assessing claims and issuing payments
  • checking and monitoring, investigating breaches
  • inspections
  • dealing with enquiries
  • informing reporting of outcomes
  • carrying out double funding checks

We are allowed to process your personal data to fulfil our agreement with you. This agreement is for the Landscape Recovery Pilot enrolment and project development phase, monitoring and reporting, and related agreements. The lawful basis for processing your personal data is that it is necessary to perform a task in the public interest as set out in domestic law (UK GDPR Art 6(1) (e)).

Natural England can process your personal data because we have official authority given by the Secretary of State under section 2(6) of the Agriculture Act 2020 to administer the Landscape Recovery Pilot

Entering into the Landscape Recovery scheme is consensual. 

However once your application has been completed and received by Natural England the processing of your personal data is not based on consent and you cannot withdraw it as it’s necessary for the administration  of your application and the scheme.

Who Natural England shares your personal data with

We may share your personal data with:

  • Environment Agency – including for delivery of the scheme, discussing complementary agreements and issuing payments
  • Forestry Commission – including for delivery of the scheme, double funding checks
  • Defra – including for delivery of the scheme, project claims, requests for amendment, monitoring, evaluation and learning.
  • National Audit Office – if selected for a scheme audit
  • Rural Payments Agency – if we need to carry out double funding checks
  • external contractors who are working on behalf of Defra to monitor and evaluate projects
  • other agencies including Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England – if we need to carry out double funding checks

As part of the Financial Assistance Regulations 2021, we will publish certain information about those receiving landscape recovery scheme payments in England. Starting with the financial year ending March 2022, we will publish:

  • full names
  • partial postcodes (for example GL55), post towns and districts where the agreement holder is registered or located
  • total grant payments received by the agreement holder in the last financial year
  • a description of the activities financed by the relevant payments

We plan to publish this information yearly, as soon as reasonably possible after the financial year ends

Natural England respects your personal privacy when responding to access to information requests and we only share information when necessary to meet our 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 the duration of the project, and 6 years after the project is finished for audit purposes.

What happens if you do not provide the data requested

Failure to provide specified information will mean that the scheme administrators will not be able to offer you a grant or provide advice on or administer your Landscape Recovery Pilot agreement, including paying claims.

Where your personal data is processed and stored

We store your personal data using a restricted SharePoint site, on our servers in the European Economic Area and process it in our offices in the UK.

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 UK

Natural England will only transfer your data to another country that is deemed adequate for data protection purposes.

Your rights

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

Your responsibilities

If you have included personal data about any other individuals in your submissions to us, you must inform them. You must provide them with a copy of this privacy notice so they are aware of how their personal data will be used.

Complaints

You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time. Alternatively, you may contact Natural England directly.

Natural England’s personal information charter

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

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