Guidance

Wildlife licensing privacy notice

Updated 13 November 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-privacy-notices/wildlife-licensing-privacy-notice

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 the information on the licence application form and any supporting material to undertake its licensing functions. This will include, but is not limited to:

  • assessing your application
  • issuing a licence if applicable
  • monitoring compliance with licence conditions
  • collating licence returns and reports

The personal information Natural England processes will include, but is not limited to:

  • your name
  • contact details
  • customer type
  • reasons for wanting a licence

Processing your data is necessary for the:

  • performance of a task carried out in the public interest
  • exercise of official authority vested in the data controller

The task is to conduct the licensing functions as delegated by Defra to Natural England under section 78 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Natural England processes personal data relating to wildlife or animal welfare offences, or related security measures only under official authority. Natural England uses this information in assessing an application as it is a material fact.

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

Who Natural England shares your personal data with

Natural England may share your information with third parties:

  • at certain stages of the licensing process
  • for particular licence applications

Natural England may do this to:

  • check information you provide on a licence application
  • discuss your application with a third party that’s supporting the application
  • get or check specialist or technical information about an application
  • monitor effects on protected species

Natural England only shares information when necessary and anonymously whenever possible.

The table shows the organisations Natural England shares information with and the species, activities and purposes it does this for.

Organisation Species Activity Sharing purpose
Statutory nature conservation bodies[footnote 1] Various Various Compliance, enforcement, licence assessment
Defra and its executive agencies[footnote 2] Various Various Compliance, enforcement, licence support, assessment and issue
Devolved administrations[footnote 3] Various Various Compliance, enforcement, licence assessment
Marine Management Organisation Marine Various Compliance, enforcement, licence assessment
Police Various Various Compliance, enforcement activity
Local planning authorities Various Development licences Compliance, enforcement, licence assessment
Bat Conservation Trust Bats All activities Licence assessment, species protection
British Trust for Ornithology Birds Photography and ringing Compliance, enforcement, licence assessment, species protection
Deer Initiative Deer Night shooting and translocation Licence assessment
Zoological Society of London Various Various Disease risks
Industry and charitable bodies[footnote 4] Various Various Application support, licence assessment
Experts and academics Various Various Application support, licence assessment

Natural England may make some information available where there’s public interest in wildlife licensing and who it issued a licence to. Information released may include, but is not limited to:

  • your name or business name
  • application and licence details
  • licence reports and returns

Natural England will not release information for licensed activities that are sensitive or could harm people, species or habitats, for example names and addresses of individuals, locations of licensed activities.

Natural England respects your personal privacy when responding to access to information requests. Natural England only shares information when necessary to meet 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 the expiry of your licence or longer if stated in the licence conditions.

What happens if you do not provide the data

Natural England will be unable to assess your application for a wildlife licence if you do not provide the data.

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 data 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.

  1. Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage ↩

  2. Such as the Animal and Plant Health Agency, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science ↩

  3. Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government, Welsh Government ↩

  4. Such as the Angling Trust, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wildlife Trusts, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, National Gamekeepers Organisation, Vincent Wildlife Trust ↩

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