Economic Growth Team Privacy Notice

Our current data protection notification is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), reference: Z5809563.

We regularly review this privacy notice, and it was last updated in July 2026.

We're committed to ensuring that your information is handled in accordance with the principles set out in data protection legislation and guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

This privacy notice tells you what to expect when we process your information and it applies to our economic growth services. You can find out more at Economic Growth - City of York Council.

We're the controller for this information unless we specifically state otherwise in this privacy notice.

You can contact the council’s Data Protection Officer at

West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6GA

Telephone: 01904 555719.

Email:information.governance@york.gov.uk.

This privacy notice should be read in conjunction with our other privacy notices that are available in our Privacy Notice and/or our policies and procedures.

When appropriate we'll provide a ‘just in time’ notice to cover any additional processing activities not mentioned in this privacy notice.

How we collect your information

We get information about you from the following sources:

  • directly from you
  • from third parties acting on your behalf such as family member(s), advocates, councillors, MPs etc
  • from other organisations such as NHS and the Police
  • from our commissioned partners or contractors who undertake work on our behalf

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What personal data we process and why

We'll only process the information that's necessary to provide our services, such as:

  • name
  • contact details, including email, address etc

We'll ask for your consent:

When we ask for equalities, diversity and inclusion (EDI) information sometimes called “About you” information, this may include some or all of the following

  • age, gender, if the gender you identify with is the same as your sex registered at birth, how you think of yourself, religion or belief, ethnic group, if you consider yourself disabled, if you're a carer, experience of being in care

EDI information is only used to help us understand the EDI makeup of our customers and will be anonymised which means it can't be linked back to you or individuals.

If you choose to subscribe to our newsletters/email updates etc. You can find out more at City of York Council Email Updates Privacy Notice - City of York Council and how to unsubscribe at Subscribe to email updates - City of York Council.

If attending a council site or attending an event at a council venue that's covered by our public space CCTV you can find details at CCTV Privacy Notice - City of York Council.

The Economic Growth Team uses your information to provide a range of services:

  • providing advice and guidance on a wide variety of economic topics
  • looking to create employment opportunities
  • attracting and supporting businesses
  • helping to shape the workforce of the future

When you request information or take part in learning and training through external partners, this will only happen if we're satisfied that they'll take appropriate measures to protect your personal information and, where required, put in place contractual obligations to ensure they can only use your personal information to provide services to us and to you.

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA), in partnership with North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, and other delivery partners, delivers employment and skills programmes funded through the Mayoral Development Fund and/or by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education (DfE).

These programmes are designed to help people overcome barriers to employment, re-engage with education, training or skills development, and access support to find, return to, or remain in work. Support may be provided to individuals with disabilities, health conditions, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that affect their participation in the labour market.

Where your information is processed as part of these programmes, you should read any other relevant programme-specific Privacy Notice for further details about how your information is used such as York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Skills and Employment Privacy Notice.

When you complete an online form on the council’s website and you have provided your email address, we'll send you a copy of your completed online form.

When you make an online payment on the council’s website, you can find details at Online Payments Privacy Notice - City of York Council.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to support or enhance council services. Where AI is involved in a process that directly affects your interaction with us, we'll inform you before your user journey begins. This ensures transparency and helps maintain trust in how we use AI.

Our use of AI complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), including the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, accountability, and accuracy. We conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) where AI systems are likely to result in high risks to individuals’ rights and freedoms, such as automated decision-making or profiling.

If generative AI tools are used, we don't use personal or end-user data to train AI models. This helps ensure compliance with the purpose limitation and data minimisation principles under UK GDPR.

AI for Staff Productivity and Accessibility

Where AI tools are used solely by staff to assist with drafting, research, or accessibility - for example, to improve writing efficiency or summarise information - these uses don't form part of a business process that affects service delivery or decision-making. As such, no specific notification will be provided for these internal productivity uses.

These uses are considered low-risk and don't involve automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. They're also subject to internal governance and safeguards to ensure responsible use.

Examples include:

  • Drafting internal reports or meeting notes
  • Summarising lengthy documents for quicker review
  • Assisting with spelling, grammar, or formatting tasks

We may use your information to create reports and statistics that are anonymous and can't be linked back to you or individuals such as:

  • for statistical analysis
  • for statutory returns
  • for audit frameworks
  • to see how the council and its partners are supporting individuals
  • to help design better services
  • to inform funding decisions

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Automated decision-making

We don't carry out any automated decision-making in Economic Growth Team services.

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Collecting information automatically

Please see our Cookies Policy for further information about the information we collect automatically when you use our website.

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Children’s information

Where we provide services directly to children or young people, the information in the relevant parts of this notice applies to children and young people, as well as adults.

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Lawful basis for processing your personal data

Any personal data and special category data that we process about individuals is done so in accordance with Articles 6 and 9 of the UK GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).

  • Article 6(1)
    • (a) Consent: the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose.
    • (b) Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract you have with the individual, or because they have asked you to take specific steps before entering into a contract.
    • (c) Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for you to comply with the law (not including contractual obligations).
    • (e) Public task: the processing is necessary for you to perform a task in the public interest or for your official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.
    • (f) Legitimate interests: the processing is necessary for the council’s legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party, unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests. (This can't apply if you're a public authority processing data to perform your official tasks.)
  • Article 9(2)
    • (a) Explicit consent
    • (g) Reasons of substantial public interest (with a basis in law)

This is supported by Schedule 1, Part 2 (6) of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the following legal framework, such as:

  • Digital Economy Act 2017
  • Local Government Finance Act 1988, 1992, 2012
  • Local Government Act 2003

Some of the Schedule 1 conditions for processing special category data require an Appropriate Policy Document (APD) to be in place, which sets out and explains the procedures for securing compliance with the principles in Article 5 and policies regarding the retention and erasure of such personal data. This document explains this processing and satisfies the requirements of Schedule 1, Part 4 of the DPA 2018 and supplements this privacy notice.

Our Appropriate Policy Document provides further information about this processing.

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How long we keep your personal data

We'll only keep your information for as long as it is needed, then it will be securely and confidentially deleted or disposed of.

You can find details on how long the council keeps records at Council retention schedule - City of York Council.

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Data sharing

We'll only share your information, where appropriate, with:

  • other City of York Council services
  • other councils, government departments and agencies such as North Yorkshire Council, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, UKSPF Partnership Board
  • other organisations such as NHS and the Police
  • third parties including our data processors, partners or contractors, who undertake work on our behalf
  • internal and external auditors

In some circumstances, such as under a court order or safeguarding, we're legally obliged to share information.

We'll always satisfy ourselves that we have a lawful basis on which to share the information and document our decision-making.

Additionally, we're required under the Public Records Act 1958 (as amended) to transfer records to the City or National Archives (TNA) for permanent preservation. Full consideration will be given to Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation when making decisions about whether such records should be open to the public.

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Data processors and/or third parties

When we have third parties providing parts or all of our services, systems, software, platforms, applications (apps) etc for us, we have contracts or agreements in place with them. These include:

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Transfers of personal data

We don't routinely transfer personal data or special categories of personal data outside of the UK but when this is necessary, we ensure that we have appropriate safeguards in place and that it is done in accordance with the UK data protection and privacy legislation.

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How we protect your information

We're committed to keeping your information safe and secure. There are several ways we do this, such as:

  • IT security safeguards such as firewalls, encryption, and anti-virus software
  • on-site security safeguards to protect physical files and electronic equipment
  • training for all staff and elected councillors
  • policies and procedures

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Your rights in relation to this processing

To find out about your rights under Data Protection law, you can go to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

You can also find information about your rights at Our Privacy Notice - City of York Council.

If you have any questions about this privacy notice, want to exercise your rights, or if you have a complaint about how your information has been used, please contact us by email: information.governance@york.gov.uk or telephone: 01904 555719, or write to:

Data Protection Officer
City of York Council
West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6GA

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Also see

Data Protection Officer

West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

Telephone: 01904 555719

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