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Dog limit

Answer:: The Public Space Protection Order (Dog Control) prohibits any one person having more than four dogs under their control at any given time.
This order applies unless the person has a valid professional dog walkers license issued by London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Dogs on leads by direction order

Answer:: This gives authorised council officers the power to request that dogs are put on leads where they are not under the appropriate control of their owner, or where they are causing damage or acting aggressively.
The orders can also be inspected and copies obtained from Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ by prior arrangement.

Dogs on leads order

Answer:

This stops owners from exercising dogs off-lead on:

Roads
Pavements
Car parks
Estate roads and communal areas on estates

1. If you live in rented accommodation, check if you need your landlord’s permission to own a dog. LBTH tenants need to apply to their Housing Office for permission to keep a pet. Check leasehold agreements for any rules about keeping a dog. Make sure you have any necessary permission before getting a dog.

2. Don’t get a dog unless you can reasonably foresee being able to keep it for its whole lifetime. Unexpected things can happen of course, but start out with the expectation of enjoying a whole life partnership with your dog. It is not easy to rehome dogs as they get older, so casual and temporary decisions to own a dog often lead to the dog being put to sleep once it’s no longer wanted. Consider whether your housing stability, your finances, your work/life balance and your family situation make this the right time to get a dog.

3. Get your dog neutered. Castration for a male dog and spaying for a female will prevent them from having puppies. There are more unwanted dogs than there are good homes for dogs at the moment. Over population is the root cause of many of the problems relating to dogs in society. Don’t be part of the problem.

4. Do not allow your dog to exercise off lead, even in an area where this is permitted, unless you have effective control of your dog. Effective control means that the dog has good recall and is responsive to basic commands.

5. Make sure your dog is well trained and socialised and can safely interact with other dogs without becoming fearful or aggressive. You are responsible for your dog’s behaviour and you must ensure it does not impact the safety and wellbeing of any other person or animal.

6. The council’s dog control public spaces protection order (PSPO) rules mean that dogs should be kept on a lead on all public roads, pavements and in car parks and including all estate roads and communal areas on estates.

7. Please be mindful that not all people wish to be greeted by your dog; some members of the community are fearful or allergic and may not welcome an interaction. It is your responsibility to make sure your dog does not approach another person, particularly children or another dog, without permission of the the other person, even when walking on a lead.

8. Dogs who are reactive or lack social skills should not be taken into an off-lead dog area.

9. Dogs should be walked on a short lead to enable the handler to have good control of the dog. Long or retractable leads often do not provide effective control over the dog.

10. Do not approach other people’s dogs without the permission of the owner first.

11. The consequences of a dog-on-dog or dog-on-person attack can be significant: financial responsibility for vet bills, compensation or prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act and your dog being destroyed.

12. Take out third party insurance for your dog to protect yourself against claims by other parties.

13. Do not allow your dog to chase wildlife. It encourages a prey drive which might be directed at a domestic pet. If you wilfully allow your dog to injure wildlife, you can be prosecuted for causing unnecessary harm to an animal.

14. Always clean up after your dog. The council’s dog control PSPO makes it an offence if you do not clean up after your dog. Make sure you carry plenty of bags for the purpose. Offer one to another dog owner if they appear to be in need!

15. Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date, to protect your own dog and any others it meets. Regular flea and worm treatment is also your responsibility.

16. Remember to change your owner details on the microchip database if you move with your dog. You can be fined for not having the correct registration information.

17. Your dog should wear a collar and tag showing the name and address of the owner.

18. Dog owners must ensure that their dog does not persistently bark which can be a nuisance for neighbours and the broader community.

19. Keep your dog on lead when entering or leaving your home or car, including lifts, communal entrances and corridors.

20. If you let your dog out in your garden, make sure your fences are secure enough to make escape absolutely impossible and tall enough to prevent your dog jumping or scrambling over – it’s surprising how agile an excited dog can be. If your garden abuts a walkway, people must be able to walk past without having your dog bark or lunge at them, so make fences high enough to create a screen. YOU may know your dog to be friendly, but other people could be afraid, and they have the right not to feel intimidated by your ownership of a dog.

Option 2

Answer:: T - Train your dog to obey basic commands

A - Aware - be aware of what your dog is doing at all times

K - Know which areas you can walk your dog in and any other restrictions or instructions which apply etc

I - Identify your dog and your ownership by microchip and collar and tagcation

N - Neuter your dog. Over-availability of puppies leads to irresponsible ownership and welfare issues

G - Groom your dog to maintain condition and owner-pet bond. Get professional trims if you have a long-haired breed

T - Tenancy regulations – check if you need permission to get a dog

H - Health checks – register with a vet and keep up-to-date with vaccinations, worming, flea treatment as well as visiting when your dog is unwell or injured

E - Exercise your dog regularly according to its needs for its breed and size

L - Lifelong commitment – don’t get a dog if you can’t foresee owning it for the dog’s whole life

E - Emergency care – who will look after your dog when you go on holiday or if you are ill or have to go away unexpectedly? Think ahead!

A - Affordability – can you afford a dog? Take account of food, equipment, vet care, boarding, insurance

D - Dangerous Dogs Act – if your dog attacks someone, you are responsible and could face prosecution while your dog is seized and destroyed

Arts and Culture

Answer:

The Skinners' Charity Foundation - Arts, Heritage & Communities

The Skinners' Company supports community initiatives that combine arts or heritage activities to foster unity and support among residents. Funding supports both single events and long-term projects.

Eligibility

Arts, heritage, and related local community projects
Projects primarily based in London and Kent
Projects that can evidence successful outcomes and show clear public value
Ideally, projects should be run by a registered not-for-profit organisation with audited or independently examined annual accounts.
The organisation's annual turnover should not exceed £300,000
Organisations with reserves of more than 12 months’ expenditure are not eligible.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £5,000 per year are available for projects and/or capital items.

Closing date

28 March 2025

More information

Please visit the Skinners Foundation website.

Youth Music Catalyser Fund

The Youth Music Catalyser Fund offers grants to organisations to sustain work, scale up delivery, or create change in sector practice to support children and young people facing barriers to accessing music education. The purpose of the fund is to make music activity more inclusive.

Eligibility

Organisations wishing to apply must meet one of the themes below:

Early Years
Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people
Youth justice system
Young People Facing barriers
Young adults
Organisations and the workforce

Funding amount

Grants between £30,001 and £300,000 are available

Closing date

Expression of Interest Deadline: 2 May 2025

Notification: 20 June 2025

Full Application Deadline: 01 August 2025

Notification: 24 October 2025

For programmes starting between: December 2025 and February 2026. All deadlines are 5 pm.

More information

Please visit the Youth Music Catalyser Fund website.

Drapers' Charitable Fund Grant (UK)

The Drapers' Charitable Fund (DCF) provides grants to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities, especially in Greater London. The fund supports initiatives, related to education, social welfare, textiles, and heritage.

Eligibility

Registered charities, CICs, and arts organisations. Projects should focus on education and young people, social welfare (homelessness, prisoners), ex-servicemen and women, general welfare, disability, and textiles and heritage

Funding amount

There is no minimum or maximum amount but grants typically are up to £25,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the The Drapers Charitable Fund website.

The Garfield Weston Foundation - Projects/Specific Activity Grant

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a charitable grant-making foundation. The foundation's Projects/Specific Activity Grant programme offers funding for particular projects. Each project has a clear scope and timeline. For instance, consider a theatre's nine-month outreach to marginalised communities or a health organisation's two-year advice service.

Eligibility

UK registered charities and CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations).

Funding amount

Grants vary depending on the total cost and scope of the project however grants tend to be 10–20 per cent of the total project cost.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For information

Please visit the Garfield Weston Foundation website.

Arts Council England - National Lottery Project Grants (England)

The National Lottery Project Grants scheme aims to support thousands of artists and community and cultural organisations.

The fund aims to create and sustain quality work. It also seeks to help people across England engage with arts and culture.

Projects must focus on these artforms and disciplines:

Music
Theatre
Dance
Visual arts
Literature
Combined arts
Musuem practice

Eligibility

Museums, libraries, individuals and organisations with projects focussing on the above artforms and disciplines.

Funding amount

Grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 for a 3-year project.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For information

Please visit the Arts Council England website.

The Golsoncott Foundation (UK)

The Golsoncott Foundation is an arts-funding trust whose objective is to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of the public in the arts, particularly the fine arts and music.

Eligibility

Registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and arts organisations.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £5,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Golsoncott website.

The Victoria Wood Foundation

Established in memory of the celebrated comedian Victoria Wood, the Victoria Wood Foundation fosters Arts initiatives throughout the United Kingdom. Their funding prioritises arts projects in London and the North of England.

Eligibility

Arts organisations and groups are invited to submit funding applications for consideration by the Foundation's trustees, who convene twice annually in July and December. To ensure timely review, applications should be received at least two weeks before the relevant meeting date.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £5,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Victoria Wood Foundation website.

John Ellerman Foundation

The John Ellerman Foundation gives money to UK charities that make between £100,000 and £10m. Funding is available to charities that focus on the arts, environment, and social action. The grants it gives are usually between £10,000 and £50,000 each year, for up to three years.

The foundation's goal is to make people, society, and the natural world better by giving money.

Eligibility

UK Registered Charities.

Funding amount

Between £10,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to three years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the John Ellerman Foundation website.

Environment and sustainability

Answer:

The Matthew Good Foundation - Grants for Good

The Matthew Good Foundation's Grants for Good program supports small charities, non-profits, and social entrepreneurs dedicated to positive change. Every three months, five shortlisted projects receive a share of £15,000, with funding amounts determined by John Good Group employee votes. The top project receives £5,000, down to £2,000 for fourth and fifth place. Both established projects and innovative start-ups are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

Local community groups, charities, voluntary groups, or social enterprises with an average income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.

Funding amount

Local community groups, charities, voluntary groups, or social enterprises with an average income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.

Closing date

The closing date for applications is 15th March 2025.

More information

Please visit the Matthew Good Foundation website.

Material Focus - Electricals Recycling Fund (UK)

Material Focus awards funding for projects that make it easier for UK householders to reuse and recycle their electrical goods. Through the Electricals Recycling Fund, grants of up to £100,000 are available for projects seeking to grow or develop existing household waste and recycling collection services for small household electricals, and grants of up to £50,000 for projects that seek to innovate new collection methods.

Eligibility

Any UK registered organisations including local authorities, waste collection authority areas, contractors, reuse organisations, not-for-profits, community sector organisations, producer compliance schemes, retailers and start-ups.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £100,000 are available for projects seeking to grow or develop existing household waste and recycling collection services for small household electricals.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available for projects that seek to innovate new collection methods.

Successful projects can spend funding on:

the purchase of new bins/collection points (‘bring banks’)
the adaptation of waste collection vehicles to include cages for kerbside WEEE
vehicle rental
installation of bins
communication and marketing materials
staffing costs to cover the time spent planning and delivering the project

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the Material Focus website.

City Bridge Trust – Making London a Greener City For All

Funding is available for local projects that take an equitable approach to mitigating and/or adapting to climate change. Applications are encouraged both from organisations that already actively focus on climate and nature and those that have not previously seen environmental action as a priority.

Eligibility

Organisations that are eligible to apply:

Charities established and registered in the UK
Registered charitable incorporated organisations
Charitable company
Registered charitable industrial and provident society (IPS) or charitable community benefit society (BenCom)
CIC (community interest company) limited by guarantee
Constituted voluntary organisations can apply for the Small Grants programme, but not our other funding programmes.

Funding amount

Up to £10,000

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the City Bridge Foundation website.

Timescales

Answer:

For all new residential and public service permits, we aim to review applications within three working days. While your application is being checked, your vehicle registration will be covered to park in the appropriate permit bay within your mini parking zone.

Once the application has been reviewed, an email will be sent to indicate one of the following:

Application approved – this means your permit application has been successful and the virtual permit is valid for use immediately.
Application declined – this means your permit application has not been successful. The email will give explanation on why the application has been declined.
Application referred – this means additional information is required in order to be able to approve the permit application.

Business permits are processed immediately.

For visitor vouchers, we aim to complete the initial registration assessment within three working days. Once this has been completed, you will be able to pay for vouchers immediately as and when you need them.

Please log onto your parking account to check the status of your application.

Pupil services

Answer:

We process your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK privacy legislation and if you have any concerns the Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk

The categories of information that we collect, process, hold and share include:

personal information (such as name, date of birth and address)
characteristics (such as ethnicity, language and free school meal eligibility)
attendance information such as schools attended and any exclusions
information from schools and partner agencies such as Attendance and Welfare, Educational Psychology, Health and Social Care regarding a child/young person’s special educational, social, emotional, mental, medical and health needs
information from partners contained on an Early Help Assessment that will already have parental consent to be shared
information we record as a result of working directly with a child or young person e.g. observations, interviews and assessments.

Why we collect and use this information

We use children and young persons’ data to:

enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible, including school admissions, appeals, travel assistance, chaperone and child performance licences
to support schools to include children with special educational needs and disabilities and enable their full access to education
assess the quality of our services
use statistics to inform and improve our service delivery.

A delay in you providing the information requested may result in a delay in providing appropriate services.

The lawful basis on which we use this information

The relevant applicable conditions under Article 6 and Article 9 of the GDPR for processing your data are:

Article 6

Processing shall be lawful only if and to the extent that at least one of the following applies:

(a) the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes

(e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;

Article 9

Processing of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.

Paragraph 1 shall not apply if one of the following applies:

(g) processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, on the basis of Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject;

(j) Processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) based on Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject.

Other relevant legislation for processing your data are:

the Education Act 1996
the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (‘SSFA 1998’)
the Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014
Education (Information About Individual Pupils)(England) Regulations 2013
Education and Inspections Act 2006 (section 4 and 38)
Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006
Education (Pupil Registration) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2016
Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations 2001
Equality Act 2010
Human Rights Act 1998

Tower Hamlets Borough Council also has a duty under the Children’s Act 2004 to work with partners to provide and improve services to children and young people in the area. Therefore, Tower Hamlets Borough Council may use this information for other legitimate purposes and may share this information where necessary with other bodies responsible for administering services to children and young people.

Collecting this information

Whilst the majority of children and young persons’ information you provide to us is collected under the legal framework above, some of it may be provided to us on a voluntary basis. An example of this would be when we ask for your feedback on the quality of our services. In order to comply with the data protection legislation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain information to us or if you have a choice in this.

We share data with the local authority in order that they can improve services to children and young people. This data would normally be anonymised and never used to make decisions on a specific individual or family.

Storing this information

We hold children and young people’s data for no longer thanwe need to by law - this is likely to be for no more than 7 years, but some records will be kept for up to 35 years from the date of birth if, for example, a young person had an Education Health and Care Plan.

We may also anonymise some personal data you provide to us to ensure that you cannot be identified and use this for statistical analysis of data to allow the Council to effectively target and plan the provision of services.

Who we share this information with

We may share data with:

internal departments within the council
other local authorities
schools, early years providers, children centres, further education colleges, pupil referral units, academies, including non-maintained special schools where it is of specific relevance to the admission and education of the child or young person
other partner agencies that provide services on our behalf
agencies with whom we have a duty to co-operate, such as police.

Tower Hamlets Borough Council also has a duty under the Children’s Act 2004 to work with partners to provide and improve services to children and young people in the area.

The main reason we share data is to enable us to best support the children and young people we work with or to enable schools and settings to do so, as efficiently as possible.

We will not share any information about you outside the school without your consent unless we have a lawful basis for doing so.

In certain circumstances, we may need to share information with other organisations without your consent for statutory purposes. These can include, but are not limited to, where we believe there is risk of significant harm to a child, young person or vulnerable adult, and for the purposes of crime prevention and national security.

For more information about the department’s data sharing process, visit GOV guidance on how we collect and share research data.

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, parents and pupils have the right to request access to information about them that we hold which must be responded to within 30 working days. To make a request for your personal information, or be given access to your child’s educational record held by their education provider, contact the council’s Data Protection Officer who can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk or contact the head of service directly at terry.bryan@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

You also have the right to:

a change of any inaccurate data we hold about you or your child
that we restrict our processing of you/your child’s data and/or restrict whom we share the data with, where permitted by law
withdraw consent and remove data relating to you/your child, where permitted by law
object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with the head of service directly at email in the first instance.

Further information

If you would like further information about this privacy notice, including information on your rights, please contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer at DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Learning Advisory Service

Answer:

Data Controller and purpose

The information you provide will be used by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ Learning Advisory Service to inform the services provided to families, children and young people, and the educational settings who support them.

The Learning Advisory Service is part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ Education Directorate: SEN Services. The Learning Advisory Service is the Data Controller.

Data we collect, process, hold and share may include (but are not limited to)

Personal information and contacts (such as name, unique pupil number and address)
Characteristics (such as ethnicity, language and free school meal eligibility)
Special educational needs information (including the need, diagnosis, or professional involvement)
Attendance information (such as number of absences, absence reasons, and any previous school attendance, or exclusions)
Assessment and Attainment (as provided by the educational setting or professional, courses enrolled in, and any relevant results)
Information from schools and partner agencies such as Statutory SEN Service, Educational Psychology, Health and Social Care regarding a child/young person’s special educational, social, emotional, mental, medical and health needs
Safeguarding information (such as any professional involvement)
Information from partners contained on an Early Help Assessment that will already have parental consent to be shared
Information we record as a result of working directly with a child or young person e.g. observations, interviews and assessments
Information from parents/carers and educational settings that provides a holistic picture of the child’s educational, health, social care and/or disability needs

Why we collect data and how we use this information

We use children and young people’s data to:

enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible
support schools to include children with special educational needs and disabilities and enable their full access to education
assess the quality of our services
derive statistics to inform and improve our service delivery.

We process your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). If you have any concerns the council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Condition for processing personal data

It is necessary for us to process children and young people’s personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) for compliance; with a legal obligation; with explicit consent; and as a task carried out in the public interest.

More personal data (such as health, personal and household circumstances) is processed under the provision of explicit consent; Health or Social Care; Archiving; Research and Statistics.

We need to comply with legal obligations including: the Education Act 2011; The Children Act 2004; The Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005; School Information (England) Regulations and the Localism Act 2011.

A delay in you providing the information requested may result in a delay in providing appropriate services.

Storing data: How long do we keep your information?

We will only hold your information for as long as is required by law and to provide you with the necessary services. This is likely to be for 35 years from closure of file. For further details, you can view the Children’s Directorate Retention Schedule.

Information sharing: Who do we share information with?

Your personal information may be shared with internal departments or with external partners and agencies involved in delivering services on our behalf. As stated, this may include:

internal departments within the council
other local authorities for the purpose of transition planning and tracking
schools, early years providers, further education colleges, pupil referral units, academies, including non-maintained special schools where it is of specific relevance to the education of the child or young person
the National Health Service, including the NHS Commissioning Board and the two-way sharing of information with NHS clinical staff
clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), now called Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) from July 2022
Other partner agencies that provide services on our behalf
agencies with whom we have a duty to co-operate, such as police

Tower Hamlets Borough Council also has a duty under the Children’s Act 2004 to work with partners to provide and improve services to children and young people in the area.

The main reason we share data is to enable us to best support the children and young people we work with or to enable schools and settings to do so, as efficiently as possible.

We will not share any information about you outside the school without your consent unless we have a lawful basis for doing so.

In certain circumstances, we may need to share information with other organisations without your consent for statutory purposes. These can include, but are not limited to, where we believe there is risk of significant harm to a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, and for the purposes of crime prevention and national security.

The council has a duty to protect public funds and may use personal information and data-matching techniques to detect and prevent fraud, and ensure public money is targeted and spent in the most appropriate and cost-effective way. Information may be shared with internal services and external bodies like the Audit Commission, Department for Work and Pensions, other local authorities, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Police. This activity is carried out under social protection law.

We have a duty to improve the health of the population we serve. To help with this, we use data and information from a range of sources including hospitals to understand more about the nature and causes of disease and ill-health in the area. This data would normally be anonymised and never used to make decisions on a specific individual or family.

Your Rights

You can find out more about your rights on our Data Protection page.

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, parents and pupils have the right to request access to information about them that we hold, which must be responded to within 30 calendar days.

To make a request for your personal information, or be given access to your child’s educational record held by their education provider, contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

You also have the right to:

a change of any inaccurate data we hold about you or your child
that we restrict our processing of you/your child’s data and/or restrict whom we share the data with, where permitted by law
withdraw consent and remove data relating to you/your child, where permitted by law
object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with the Council’s Data Protection Officer on DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Last update

We may need to update this privacy notice periodically, so we recommend that you revisit this information from time to time. This version was last updated in 2022.

Further information and contact

For further information about this privacy notice, please contact the council’s Data Protection Officer at DPO@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

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