Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment 2026 - Household Survey: privacy
Service area covered by this privacy notice
Planning Policy
Introduction
The Council has appointed consultants Arc4 to undertake a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) on its behalf. The study will involve surveys of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. National planning policy requires local planning authorities to assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. The results will inform a new Local Plan for Hart (Hart Local Plan 2044).).
Who are Arc4?
Arc4 are a specialist housing research organisation. The company is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Z992934X).
How Arc4 obtain and use your information
Arc4 obtain details of the location of sites from the Council.
When Arc4 contact you, they do not ask for your name.
Arc4 will only share the anonymous results of the survey with relevant Data Controllers (such as a council or housing association).
The Council relies on the lawful basis of Public Task carried out in the Public Interest for the above processing.
Arc4 have a Legitimate Interest to indefinitely retain and process the survey information (which will not include your name) for statistical and future research purposes.
Types of personal information Arc4 collect
- reference number
- information about your home and all members of your household
- information about your housing and travelling history
- information about your household’s future housing needs
Special category data
Arc4 collects health and disability information, as it relates to your current and future housing needs, about all members of your household. For this Arc4 rely on the lawful basis under the Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 1(1) Social Protection and (2) Health and Social Care purposes.
The Data Protection Act 2018 requires Arc4 to have an Appropriate Policy Document (‘APD’) for the above processing of special category data. The APD sets out and explains their procedures for securing compliance with data protection principles and policies regarding the retention and erasure personal data.
Arc4 collect the ethnicity of all members of your household and rely on the lawful basis under the Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2(8) Equality of opportunity or treatment.
Sharing your information and how long Arc4 retain it.
Arc4 use cloud providers for storing your information.
Arc4 retain the survey results, including address information indefinitely for statistical purposes. In doing this Arc4 will ensure that results of the research, or any resulting statistics, are not made available in a form which identifies you (the data subject).
Transferring your personal information out of the UK
To deliver services to you, Arc4 may need to share your personal information outside the UK, for example where a cloud service provider is based overseas. Where this happens, your data will only be transferred to countries that are within the UK/European Economic Area (EEA), which are recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection.
How long the Council will keep your personal data
- Any contact/sample data is retained only for the duration of fieldwork and quality checks.
- Survey responses are anonymised and retained in aggregated form only.
Your rights
Right of access: should you wish to make a subject access request please contact Arc4 at businessteam@arc4.co.uk or call 0800 612 9133.
Right to rectification: if you wish to correct any information Arc4 hold about you please contact Arc4 using the above details. Arc4 will consider your request and give you their decision within one month. Please remember the research captures your views and opinions at the time it was conducted.
Right to erasure, right to object or restrict processing: where Arc4 are processing under a Legitimate Interest for statistical purposes, a legitimate interest assessment has been conducted to ensure your rights are not unduly outweighed.
Your name is not included in the information.
Arc4’s work requires them to maintain the integrity of datasets.
Right to complain: if you wish to complain about how Arc4 have processed your information ,please contact them using the above details. If you are still unhappy you can complain to the Information Commissioner.