What Data Protection means to arc⁴

At arc⁴, protecting the personal information of the people we work with is central to everything we do. We are committed to handling all personal data responsibly, transparently and in full compliance with UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).

Who We Are

arc⁴ Limited is a specialist housing research organisation, registered in England (Company No. 06205180). Our registered address is 41 Clarendon Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 2DY.

We are registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO Registration No. Z992934X).

If you have any questions about how we handle personal data, please contact our Business Team:

Email: businessteam@arc4.co.uk | Telephone: 0800 612 9133

Our Role as a Data Controller

arc⁴’s research – including surveys and focus groups – involves processing personal information. When carrying out research, arc⁴ typically operates as a Joint Data Controller or Data processor alongside the commissioning Local Authority or Housing Association, who rely on the lawful basis of Public Task carried out in the Public Interest for that processing.

Before any research begins, arc⁴ and the commissioning Local Authority or Housing Association will sign a Data Sharing Agreement that sets out the responsibilities of each party and the terms on which personal data will be shared and used.

Our Commitment to the Data Protection Principles

In all our work, arc⁴ is committed to ensuring that personal data is:

  • Processed lawfully, fairly and transparently
  • Collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes, and not processed in a manner incompatible with those purposes
  • Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary
  • Accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date
  • Retained no longer than necessary for its purpose, except where we hold a legitimate statistical justification for longer retention (see below)
  • Processed securely, with appropriate technical and organisational measures in place

Special Category Data

Our research often involves collecting information that is classified as Special Category Data under the DPA 2018. This includes:

  • Health and disability information – collected where it relates to a participant’s current or future housing needs. The lawful basis for this processing is DPA 2018, Schedule 1, Part 1(1) Social Protection and (2) Health and Social Care purposes.
  • Ethnicity information – collected for equality monitoring purposes. The lawful basis for this processing is DPA 2018, Schedule 1, Part 2(8) Equality of Opportunity or Treatment.

The DPA 2018 requires arc4 to hold an Appropriate Policy Document (APD) for the processing of special category data. Our APD sets out how we secure compliance with data protection principles and our policies for the retention and erasure of such data.

Legitimate Interest and Statistical Retention

arc⁴ holds a Legitimate Interest as an Independent Data Controller to retain and further process pseudonymised research data indefinitely for statistical and future research purposes.

Data is pseudonymised when an individual cannot be identified directly from the information retained – for example, any names, house numbers and street names are removed before any data is retained for statistical purposes.

In developing this approach, arc⁴ has consulted guidance from the Market Research Society (MRS). arc⁴ also voluntarily complies with the conditions for Research and Statistical Purposes set out in DPA 2018, Schedule 2, Part 6(27)(3), which requires that we never publish information in a form where an individual data subject can be identified.

arc⁴ has completed a Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) to ensure that the rights of data subjects are not unduly outweighed by arc⁴’s interests in retaining this data.

Where We Store Your Data

All personal data collected and processed by arc4 is stored within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA). We use secure, UK-based cloud providers for data storage. arc⁴ does not transfer personal data outside the UK/EEA, and will not do so without first ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by UK data protection law.

Privacy Notices and Transparency

arc⁴ maintains separate privacy notices for each type of research activity it undertakes. These are available below:

  • Residential Household Survey
  • Gypsy Traveller Assessment
  • Focus Groups
  • Stakeholder Survey
  • Website Privacy Policy

Joint privacy notices may also be prepared by Local Authorities or Housing Associations we are working with.

Your Data Protection Rights

All individuals whose data is processed by arc⁴ have the following rights under UK data protection law:

  • Right of access – to request a copy of personal information we hold about you
  • Right to rectification – to request correction of inaccurate information
  • Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
  • Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data
  • Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests

To exercise any of these rights, or if you have a concern about how we have handled your personal data, please contact us at businessteam@arc4.co.uk or call 0800 612 9133.

If you remain dissatisfied after contacting us, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints | Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Contact Details

arc⁴ Limited
41 Clarendon Road, Sale, Cheshire, M33 2DY

Company Registration No. 06205180 (England)
ICO Registration No. Z992934X

Email: businessteam@arc4.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 612 9133

Updated: May 2026