What information do we need?
Argyll and Bute Council will act as the ‘Data Controller’ in regard to the personal data you provide to us. The Data Protection Officer, who is responsible for ensuring personal data is managed in accordance with data protection legislation can be contacted as follows:
Data Protection Officer, Argyll and Bute Council, Legal and Regulatory Support, Kilmory, Lochgilphead PA31 8RT. Email: data.protection@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Telephone: 01546 605522
Unless specifically agreed with you, we will only collect personal data about you which does not include any special categories of personal information about you (also known as ‘sensitive personal data’). The information will include your name, address, e-mail address (if applicable) and telephone/mobile number(s).
Why we need this information?
Your information is being collected to allow Argyll and Bute Council to make contact with you regarding your role on the community council and in cases where you are either a Convener or Secretary, to publish this information wider to allow interested persons to get in touch with a main point of contact.
We need to know this basic personal data in order to provide an administration service and provide you with information to assist you undertake your role. If you do not provide this information, then we will be unable to provide those services to you. We will not collect any personal data from you that isn’t needed for delivery of those services.
The lawful basis for collecting your information in these circumstances is:
Article 6(1)(c) - Legal obligation – processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, namely the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, local authorities are required to establish Community Councils for their area, and the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 seeks to ensure that community councils are kept informed on matters of mutual interest (and vice-versa).
What we will do with your information?
While you remain a community councillor, we will maintain a membership database which will include your name and address, telephone and email contact details. We will use contact details provided from time to time to invite you to participate on surveys, which may seek views on council services, or on your own requirements for training. On occasions we may contact you by telephone to discuss any issues brought to our attention in regard to your role as a community councillor. In addition, we may provide other council departments (such as Legal and Regulatory Support; Development and Economic Growth and Financial Services) with your contact details in connection with your appointment as a planning or licensing contact, Area Community Planning Liaison, or Treasurer, in order to provide you with relevant information pertaining to your role or to release any grant monies payable to the community council.
If you are appointed as Convener or Secretary we will publicise your information on the Council website as a means of interested parties being able to contact you directly by their own preferred method of communication. As officer bearer positions require to be determined on an annual basis we will make contact with any persons appointed to these positions in subsequent years to ensure that the information held remains current and to obtain your consent to publish all or part of the details held on our website.
All of the information we collect from you will be processed by staff in the United Kingdom. You should also be aware that your data will be stored on servers located in the United Kingdom; the data will not be processed outside the European Union. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is kept securely and more information on how we do this can be requested from the Data Protection Officer.
The Council has a number of AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems in use, most notably Microsoft Copilot. These systems are used as productivity assistants and the data is kept securely within the Council Network.
These AI systems do not make decisions for the Council. All AI-generated content requires to be manually checked/verified before it is used operationally.
How long will we keep your information?
We will keep your information for the length of time you remain a Community Councillor, after which it will be destroyed under secure arrangements. More information on our retention policy can be obtained from the Data Protection Officer (contact details can be found above).
Automated Decision Making
No automated decision making will take place
Your Rights
When you provide information to the Council, you will have the following rights:
- to withdraw consent at any time, where the legal basis specified above is consent
- to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (see details below)
- to request access to your personal data
- to data portability, where the Legal basis specified above is i) consent or ii) performance of a contract
- to request rectification or erasure of your personal data, as far as the legislation permits
To find out further details about any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer.
Information Commission
The Information Commission is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights.
Information Commission’s Office, 4th Floor, No.3 Circle Square, 5 Hawkshaw Street, Manchester M1 7BL
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Information Commission’s Office – Scotland, 45 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HL
Telephone: 0303 123 1115 Email: Scotland@ico.org.uk
