Historic environment privacy notice

What services are being provided?

• Historic Environment Record (HER)
• Portable Antiquities Scheme/Treasure Act reporting
• events (eg guided walks, day schools)
• volunteering opportunities
• liaison scheme for metal detectorists

What personal information do we need from you?

The personal information we may need from you consists of:

• name
• address
• postcode
• email address
• telephone number(s)
• emergency contact details (in the case of volunteers or event participants)

What Special Category (sensitive) Data might we need?

In order that we may deliver services appropriate to your needs we may also ask for the following ‘special category’ (sensitive) information about you, which may include:

• race
• ethnic origin
• sexual orientation

Information we may receive

Personal information about you from others

To help us provide services appropriate to your needs we may receive personal information about you from others.

Who might use your personal information?

The following organisations or departments may use the information you provide:

• Historic Environment Team
• Dorset Council financial services
• Coroner
• Treasure Registrar (British Museum)

The Data Controller is Dorset Council. The Data Protection Officer for Dorset Council may be contacted at data.protection@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

What will your information be used for and what is the lawful basis for requesting and using it?

Your information will be used for: 

• responding to Historic Environment Record (HER) enquiries
• providing and managing events and volunteering opportunities
• mailings relating to events, metal detecting, and to volunteers (where specifically requested and confirmed annually) etc
• identification and recording of your finds under the Portable Antiquities Scheme
• identification and reporting of finds of potential treasure (Treasure Act 1996) to the Coroner and Treasure Registrar
• preventing or detecting of fraud or crime
• planning and improving the above services and associated services
• research and statistical analysis using anonymised data

Please note that if we cannot use your data we may not be able to provide you with these services.

What is the lawful basis for us to use your information?

Our Lawful or legal basis for using your information is consent.  More information about this can be found on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

Organisations we may share your information with

In some cases we may have to share your personal information with other agencies such as:

• Coroner
• Treasure Registrar

Will some or all your information be stored in, processed or accessible from countries outside the UK, EU or EEA countries?

No, some or all your information will not be stored in, processed or accessible from countries outside the UK, EU or EEA countries.

How long will we keep your information?

Current advice to HER users

In the case of Historic Environment Record enquiries, we will process your enquiry and keep the information on file for a while in case you get back to us with a query or supplementary enquiry. Some of the information will be used to assemble very basic statistics about HER use and users for each year. Shortly after the end of each year we 'weed out' our enquiries file and dispose of personal details. The precise timing of this depends on our workload but we aim to do it within three months.