Coal tip locations: privacy notice for landowners

The Welsh Government is developing a national geospatial dataset of disused coal tips in Wales. The data has been collated from the records of partners, such as local authorities and the Coal Authority.  Additional tips have been identified by using openly available data sources such as historical maps and LiDAR terrain data. The data being collated includes the tip boundaries, their category rating and ownership status. The Welsh Government will be Controller for personal information processed for this purpose.

Your personal data is processed as part of Welsh Government’s public task; that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government. The statutory basis for processing the data is a combination of powers – section 141 of the Local Government Act 1972, in conjunction with sections 11 and 12 of the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969; and section 58A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

We will be collecting the locations of all disused coal tips in Wales, which includes the boundaries of the tip extents. This is necessary for partners, for example local authorities, to quality assure the data and undertake key actions of the coal tip safety work programme, such as tip inspections, maintenance works and technology trials. 

We will also be processing the land ownership information relating to each tip using HM Land Registry records. We will use this personal data to develop policy and legislation on disused coal tips; to enable partner organisations or contractors to write to you regarding access to land for ongoing tip inspections; and to build an asset register to support the ongoing management and maintenance of disused coal tips.

For the purposes of ascertaining the extent of disused coal tips, we may process the personal information of some landowners who ultimately do not have tips on their land. 
 

The national geospatial dataset of disused coal tips in Wales will be of key importance in how the Welsh Government and its partners manage disused coal tips in Wales and will be as relevant in the future as it is currently. In respect of this, Welsh Government will retain this information for as long as it is necessary. The retention will be reviewed in 20 years, in line with our data retention policy and legal commitments, to ensure that it is still required.

Your contact details will be shared with the Coal Authority, which may contact you regarding access to your land for ongoing tip inspections. 

Tip boundary information will be shared with:

• local authorities with disused coal tips within their boundaries and the Coal Authority - to assist with the management and understanding of tips
• contractors and consultants working on behalf of these bodies or Welsh Government - to assist with the management and understanding of tips
• local resilience forums – to enable preparedness activities where it may be deemed appropriate 
• selected third parties - to assist with disused coal tip research and technology trials.

The locations of the disused coal tips and their category rating will be shared publicly and will eventually become an important part of how coal tips are managed in Wales. The disused coal tip locations and category ratings will continue to evolve as the understanding of each tip increases.

Under the UK GDPR you have the following rights:

• to access a copy of your own data
• for us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances)
• for your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances)
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection.

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: 

Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.

Phone: 01625 545 745 or 0303 123 1113.

For enquiries about this privacy notice or the coal tip safety programme, please contact:

Email: CoalSpoilTips@gov.wales 

If you have any questions relating to this privacy notice or about how Welsh Government handle your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer: 

Welsh Government,
Cathays Park,
Cardiff,
CF10 3NQ, 

Email: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales.