Hedgerow protection privacy notice
Updated 23 October 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hedgerow-protection-privacy-notice/hedgerow-protection-privacy-notice
How the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) collects and processes the personal data necessary to manage hedgerow protection.
1. Purpose for processing
To allow RPA to regulate the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 Statutory Instrument (SI). This is on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
It aims to protect hedgerows on agricultural land as these are important ecological building blocks across our landscapes. Hedgerows provide habitat, act as wildlife corridors, slow soil erosion and water run-off. They also support crop pollinators and sequester carbon as well as enriching the landscape.
2. Why we are able to process your personal data
The law allows us to process your personal data under article 6(1)(e) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). We are allowed to process personal data when we need to carry out a public task. The relevant law is the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 SI.
3. What personal data we process
We process the personal data necessary to manage hedgerow protection. This includes:
- customer registration information
- findings from visit
- any advisory comments issued
- post visit actions including civil sanctions
- breaches of legislation
Please refer to our Appropriate Policy Document Sensitive Processing for Law Enforcement Purposes for more information.
We may process your personal data including your email address in any questions or feedback you send to us. We may also use your information to contact you about future grants and updates to farming policy that would be relevant to you.
4. Your responsibility with other people’s personal data
If you’ve included personal data about other people in your records, 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.
5. Where your personal data is stored
We store, transfer and process your personal data on our servers in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU).
6. How long we keep your personal data
We keep your information for 7 years.
Please refer to our Personal Information Charter and the section ‘How long we will keep data’ for information on any potential exceptions.
7. Who we share your personal data with
Alongside Defra and RPA, we share this information with:
- Environment Agency
- Natural England
- Forestry Commission
- Animal and Plant Health Agency
- local authorities
- Department for Business
- Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate
- Welsh Government Rural Payments Wales
8. Your rights
Read our Personal Information Charter to find out your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).
9. How to make a complaint
If you have concerns about how RPA uses your personal data, please read how to get in touch or make a complaint.