Skip to main content

Valleys Taskforce Empty Homes Grant Privacy Notice

How we use your personal information for Prosperity and Development Housing Grants delivery of the Valleys Taskforce Empty Homes Grant purposes

The Council provides services for local communities and the people who live in them.  Undertaking this work means that we must collect and use information about the people we provide services to and keep a record of those services. Because we collect and use personal information about individuals we must make sure that they know what we intend to do with their information and who it may be shared with. 

We have summarised in this privacy notice some of the key ways in which we use your personal information for Prosperity and Development Housing Grants delivery of the Valleys Taskforce Empty Homes Grant purposes. This information should be read in conjunction with the Council’s corporate privacy notice.

1. Who we are, what we do. 

The Empty Homes Team work with Local Authorities within the Valleys Taskforce to deliver empty home grant applications.

The taskforce is made up of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Swansea, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.

Although not part of the scheme under Phase 2 of the grant, personal data is processed for residents of Neath Port Talbot who express an interest in the grant.

The Scheme offers applicants a grant to bring their empty homes back in to use.  It supports the delivery to return empty homes into use, help regenerate communities, provide more choice and suitable accommodation for residents.

2. What and whose personal information we hold? 

 When applying for an empty homes grant we will hold your personal information to process the application.  This will also include anyone living in your home over the age of 17.

The types of information we will hold includes the following;

  • Name and address
  • Contact information including mobile or landline telephone number and email address
  • Date of birth
  • National Insurance Number
  • Bank Account details (for payment of grant aid)
  • Evidence of ownership of property (including Land Registry Title documents), Business accounts and Self Assessment details
  • Property valuation and mortgage details.
  • Other personal information submitted as evidence in support of your grant application
  • Details of other persons related to your application, this can include your partner and other members of your household
  • Benefit entitlement and supporting information 

We may receive/collect the following information from others in support of your application:

  • Confirmation of your Ownership of your property (for which grant aid is sort), 
  • Confirmation of the length of your occupancy of property
  • Confirmation of your entitlement to Reduction in Council Tax
  • Confirmation that you have registered that you will be living in the property
  • Confirmation of your National Insurance Number
  • Evidence of ownership / tenancy of property
  • Proof of identity (for example, but not restricted to; passport, driving license, utility bill etc). 

3. Where does the service get my information from? 

The service obtains your information from a number of sources as follows:

  • You, the applicant and upon completion of the grant application form
  • Enquiries via telephone, email, letter, online enquiry
  • Local Land Charges Searches
  • Land Registry Search
  • Other service areas within the Council eg Council Tax, Housing Benefits
  • Information provided by the Valleys Taskforce local authorities i.e. Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Swansea, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly, and Carmarthenshire. 

4. What we will do with your personal information? 

To process your grant application and assess your eligibility to receive the grant funding, we will

  • Provide pre-application advice
  • Check with other Council departments such as Council Tax to assess eligibility
  • Assess and approve and make payments in respect of your application for Discretionary Grant Assistance
  • Enable assessment of Discretionary Grant applications made by members of your household/family
  • To make a payment to you or your chosen contractor which could include, builder, electrician, plumber, architect etc in respect of your grant application
  • Issue an instruction to register a Legal Charge in respect of your grant award
  • Gather customer feedback information in respect of the application process and if you would like to take part in promotion of the scheme (to include internal/external reporting and/or social media) 

5. What is the legal basis for the use of this information? 

As the Empty Homes Team are working with Welsh Government to bring empty homes back in to use, to help regenerate communities and provide more choice and suitable accommodation for residents we will process your information in line with;

  • Housing Grants, Construction & Regeneration Act 1996
  • Housing Renewal Grants Regulations
  • Regulatory Reform Order, Private Sector Housing Renewal 2002
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Private Sector Housing Policy 2014 

6. Does the service share my personal information with any other organisation?

The Empty Homes Team will require additional information on you to process your grant application, in order for us to so this we will share your information with;

Other Council departments:

  • Council Tax
  • Housing Benefits
  • Legal
  • Finance
  • Valleys Taskforce Area Local Authorities

Other individuals:

  • Developers, Builders, Architects
  • Your legal representatives
  • Your agent / representative

 7. How long will my information be kept? 

We will only keep your personal information for as long as we need it, to provide the relevant service and to deal with any questions or complaints that we may receive, this will be for a period of 10 years.

8. Your information, your rights 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you important rights, including the right to access the personal information the services hold about you.

View further details on your information rights and how to exercise them

9. Contact us 

If you have any concerns or would like to know more about how the service using your personal information please contact us in one of the following ways:

By email : www.rctcbc.gov.uk/grantiaucartrefigwag  www.rctcbc.gov.uk/emptyhomesgrant

In writing :

Prosperity and Development

Housing Investment and Grants

Sardis House

Sardis Road

Pontypridd

CF37 1DU