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Website Privacy Policy

Wychavon District Council will endeavour to safeguard the privacy of its website visitors. This document explains the Council's website data processing practice.

What information do we collect?

We will collect personal details appropriate to the service you require. In some areas, this may simply mean registering your name, address and email details. Other on-line forms will require more information.

What do we use personal information for?

There are various reasons that we need to collect personal data. For example, we may need your contact details for correspondence purposes. Similarly, we may need information because of legal requirements. Subject to your agreement, we may contact you to let you know about new online services, or get your feedback on how we're performing. In any event, we will only ever ask for information that is absolutely necessary and does not constitute an invasion of privacy.

Allowing your details to be used across other council services

We're in the process of transforming our services in line with the Council's Vision. This is part of our commitment to improve the quality of people's experience when they contact us.

We all get frustrated on occasion when we have to repeat the same basic information over and over again. Because of this, we're focusing on making it easy for people to do business with us, whenever and however they choose, all through a single point of contact known as the Worcestershire Hub.

By allowing your details to be used across other council services, you are allowing us to re-use information to minimise the time taken when you contact us in the future.

Email Messages

We are keen to ensure that we are providing our citizens with services that they need. Consequently, you may receive occasional e-mail messages from us on matters that we consider may be of interest to you, if you have provided your email address to us for this purpose.

We also provide an email alerts service which you will be given the option of signing up to when you contact us through the Customer Contact Centre or using our online services.

Your details are kept in a secure server, separate from other council systems, and are only used for the purpose of providing you with the information you have requested to receive.

We will not share this information with third parties or sell your data to outside companies. You can opt out of the service at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link contained within any of the emails you receive from the alerts service.

Information to improve our site

We collect web statistics automatically about your visit to our site based on your IP address. This information is used to help us track what people are doing on the site so that we can improve it. We don't use this information to identify you as an individual and you will remain anonymous, unless you're asked to identify yourself by completing a form or an online transaction.

Cookies

What are cookies?

Cookies are pieces of data that are often created when you visit a website, and which are stored in the cookie directory of your computer. The cookies do not contain any personal information about you, and they cannot be used to identify an individual user. 

When someone visits our website we log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns.

We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site, but: 

  • We collect this information in a way which does not identify anyone.
  • We do not make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.
  • We will not associate any data gathered from this site with any personally identifying information from any source.

If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website (in a form, for example), we will be up front about this.

We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

Cookies and the law

The EU law states that we must:

  • Tell you that the cookies are there
  • Explain to you what the cookies do
  • Obtain your consent to store a cookie on your device

You can find more information about cookies and the law on these websites:

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings.

To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Use of cookies by the council

You may delete and block all cookies from this site, the following table shows you which cookies we currently use.

Other cookies may be set when you visit the Worcestershire County Council website from the links in our site (to pages such as job listings).

Cookies used by our website:

Cookie Purpose More Information
Google Analytics

_utma

_utmb

_utmc

_utmz

 These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitor have come to the site from and the pages they visited. An overview of privacy at Google
Search Functionality

terms

terms2

 These cookies are used as part of the search engine built into the website and are required to use the search facilities. They are also used to log the terms being searched so that results can be optimised.   
General

COOKIE_SUPPORT

GUEST_LANGUAGE_ID

JSESSIONID

 These cookies are created by default and are not required to use the site. They simply establish the language your browser is using and whether this supports the use of cookies.  

Business Rates Datasets

In this section

We receive regular FOI requests for information about business properties in the our district. We have made the following commonly requested data available:

Notes about the data

  • Each set of data will be updated in January, April, July and October each year.
  • The ratepayers name and correspondence address will only be shown for companies and other organisations. If the ratepayer is a person those fields will be blank as required by Data Protection rules.
  • The ratepayer is responsible for paying the rates but may not be the owner of the property. You can find out who owns a property from the Land Registry. View Land Registry pages(opens in a new window).
  • Our property reference number is also used by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) which values property for rating purposes on behalf of the government. You can find more information about the valuation of a property, including previous rateable values, by using the property reference number on the Valuation Office Agency website. View Valuation Office Agency pages(opens in a new window).
  • We do not disclose account reference numbers as they are personal to the ratepayer and are used to confirm identity.
Image Date Date Text 3 Text 4 Text 5 Text 6 Text 7 Text 8 Text 9 Text 10 Text 11 Text 12 Text 13 Text 14 Text 15 Text 16 Text 17 Text 18 Text 19 Text 20 Download CSV
Quarter 2 2026/2027 Download CSV
Quarter 1 2026/2027 Download CSV
Quarter 4 2025/2026 Download CSV
Quarter 3 2025/2026 Download CSV

Empty Properties

This list includes all business properties that are empty. The data includes the date the property became empty and the exemption type (if applicable). Business rates are not charged for the first three months that a property is empty or the first six months if it is industrial. After that full rates are payable unless the property is exempt.

Charitable Relief

This list includes properties where the ratepayer is receiving mandatory or discretionary charitable rate relief or rural rate relief. The data includes the type of relief and the percentage awarded.

Small Business Rate Relief

This list includes all properties where the ratepayer receives small business rate relief. The data includes the amount of relief awarded.

New accounts per quarter

This list includes all properties where the ratepayer became liable from a date in the previous quarter. For example, the data published in July will include properties where the ratepayer became liable in April, May or June. The data includes the liability start date.

NDR Write Ons over £5

Wychavon District Council will no longer publish information relating to outstanding credits on Business Rates accounts following a decision notice issued by the Information Commissioners Office. We believe that this information is exempt under Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act. This exemption applies because the release of this information would prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. Due to limited means of personal verification it is possible that credits could be claimed fraudulently and the council has therefore concluded that disclosure of this information into the public domain is no longer in the public interest.

Requests for other data

If the data you require is not included in these lists, please send an FOI request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read more …Business Rates Datasets

National Fraud Initiative – Fair Processing Notice (Cabinet Office)

This authority is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for; auditing, or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, in order to prevent and detect fraud.

The Cabinet Office is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.

Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

We participate in the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative: a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for matching for each exercise, as detailed in the National Fraud Incentive documentation. Read National Fraud Incentive on the government website (opens in new window).

The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice. Read Code of Practice on government website (opens in new window)

View further information about the Cabinet Office's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information. Read more about fair processing on GOV.UK

For further information on data matching at this authority please contact:

Andy Bromage 
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Helen Tiffney
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Telephone: 01905 722 165

Public Health Funerals

Under the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984, when a resident in the district passes away (excluding in hospital) we have a duty to make arrangements for the funeral, if living relatives cannot be found.

We do not publish details of public health funerals but where relevant, information is provided to the relevant Government Legal Department.

View Government Legal Department pages on GOV.UK

View Bona Vacantia pages on GOV.UK

We do however recognise that there is a public interest in understanding the cost to the public. Therefore, please see the table below for this information published in financial years.

Date No. of funerals Cost No. of Burials No. of Cremations
2017/18 5 £3350 3 2
2018/19 3 £2905 1 2
2019/20 4    £4551  0  4
2020/21 1 £1362 1 0
2021/22 8 £5045 2 6
2022/23 4 £2822.50 0 4
2023/24 2 £1,500.00 0 2
2024/25 2 £1,798.00 2 0

This information is updated in April and October.

We undertake relatively few public health funerals and therefore we consider that publication of this information at six monthly intervals is reasonable. We would therefore refuse any requests for updated information before the next planned update, under Section 22 of the Act, as it is information that we hold with the intention of publishing at some future date.

Exempt Information

We will not disclose personal details of a deceased individual with no known next of kin. The disclosure of such information may lead to the commission of offences, cause loss to unsecured estates and potential identity fraud.

Taking these issues into account, we are therefore satisfied that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing   and believe that Section 31(1)(a) (Law enforcement - prevention and detection of crime) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is applicable.

For further queries or to make a request, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Publication Scheme

Who we are and what we do

Council democratic structure

Council directorate structure

Customer Service Centres

  • Pershore Civic Centre
  • Evesham Community Contact Centre
  • Droitwich Customer Contact Centre

Find contact information on our Contact us page.

Currently elected councillors information and contact details

Most recent election results

Relationships with other authorities

Wychavon District Council is one district of six in the county of Worcestershire, the others being:

What we spend and how we spend it

Financial information about projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.

How we make decisions

Decision-making processes and records of decisions.

Below is a list of the latest consultations from within Wychavon District Council. Please select a link to be forwarded to the selected consultation:

Our policies and procedures

Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.

Lists and registers

Services provided by the council

For more information contact:

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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