Guidance

Appeal a regulatory decision from the Environment Agency: Stage 1 privacy notice

Updated 12 December 2025

Applies to England

The guidance on how to appeal a regulatory decision from the Environment Agency explains the process.

There is an online form for Stage 1 of the process to help you send a regulatory appeal, which is available only to certain users. This privacy notice covers how the Environment Agency will use your personal information when you submit this form.

1. Who collects your personal data

The Environment Agency is the data controller for the Regulatory Appeals Process Application (RAPAPP), and the personal data you provide through the Stage 1 regulatory appeal form.

You can find more information about how we handle personal data in our personal information charter.

2. Why we collect your personal data

We collect your personal data to process and assess your Stage 1 regulatory appeal relating to water industry pollution incidents. This includes reviewing the appeal, corresponding with you, and making a decision based on the information you provide.

The data utilised for the purposes of this application will generally relate to water quality pollution incidents only, which will not routinely generate an identifiable data subject.

3. Lawful basis for processing

The lawful basis we rely on to process your personal data is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), which allows us to process personal data when this is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or exercise our official authority. This processing is carried out under our regulatory functions as defined in environmental legislation.

4. What personal data we collect

We may collect:

• your name and contact details (email, phone number, postal address)
• reference numbers (such as permit numbers, report form references)
• details of your appeal and supporting documents
• any correspondence related to your Stage 1 submission

5. Information relating to third parties

If you have included personal data that relates to an identified or identifiable living individual (constituting a ‘data subject’ in the context of the legislation) you must tell them. You must provide them with a copy of this privacy notice so that they know how their personal data will be used.

6. How we use your personal data

The purpose of the application is to provide a process for reporting and processing regulatory appeals relating to pollution incidents. It also creates a central storage point for all relevant appeals information, including supporting evidence provided to the Environment Agency by the water companies. This may include, but is not restricted to templated forms, copies of emails, photographs and reports in any media format.

The application provides water companies with the facility to directly interact with the Environment Agency by initiating regulatory appeal requests, provide supporting evidence and receiving decisions.

We will not share or disclose any other personal data to any party outside the Environment Agency unless we are lawfully able to do so.

We do not use this data to make any automated decisions or for automated profiling.

7. Where your data is stored and processed

We store and process your personal data on secure servers in the UK. Your data will not be transferred outside the UK.

8. How long we keep your data

After you submit your information, we will retain it for 7 years. If you need more information, contact our Data Protection team.

9. Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or your data rights, check our personal information charter.