Privacy Notice and Cookie Policy

Harmby Parish Council is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy explains when and why we collect personal information about people who visit our website, how we use it, and how we keep it secure.

This policy complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

 Who We Are

Harmby Parish Council is a “data controller”. This means we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. Our Clerk acts as our Data Protection Officer.

 How We Collect Your Personal Information

We collect information from you when you use our website, for example, when you:

• Contact us via email links or contact webforms.
• Sign up for council newsletters or email alerts.
• Submit comments, public questions, or planning feedback.

 The Types of Information We Collect

The personal information we collect might include:

• Your name, email address, postal address, and telephone number.
• Your IP address and details of which web browser you used.
• Information on how you use the website, collected via technical cookies.

How Your Information is Used

We may use your information to:

• Process a query or issue you have raised with the council.
• Send you communications you have requested (e.g., newsletters, agendas).
• Fulfill our statutory obligations as a local government authority.
• Improve our website services by analyzing anonymous visitor trends.

Our lawful basis for processing this data is usually to perform a task in the public interest or to comply with a legal obligation.

 Data Retention and Security

We review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis. We will hold your personal information on our systems only for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as required by law (such as financial regulations). We implement strict security measures to protect your data from unauthorised access or disclosure.

 Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to request access to the data we hold about you, request corrections, ask us to restrict processing, or object to processing. To exercise these rights, contact the Parish Clerk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been mishandled.

Cookie Policy

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users. This helps us provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and allows us to improve our site.

A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: These are required for the basic operation of our website (e.g., enabling secure page navigation). The website cannot function properly without these.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our website when using it. This helps us improve the way our website works. These cookies gather information anonymously.

Managing Cookies

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our website.

Changes to This Policy

Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page. This policy was last updated on 21 October 2026.