Privacy Policy

Who we are

Our website address is www.waretowncouncil.gov.uk.

Privacy & Data Protection

We are committed to preserving your privacy. This privacy policy explains why we obtain, store and process data that can identify you.

Why we collect your information

When you visit our website, we collect standard internet log information that helps us to analyse details, such as number of visitors to the site and patterns in visitor behaviour, which enable us to improve the user experience. We collect this information in a way that does not identify anyone.

If you visit certain areas of this site or complete forms you may be asked to provide us with personal data, such as names, addresses, telephone and/or email addresses. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

How long we retain your data

All data that we retain is protected in accordance with best industry practice, including password protection, data encryption and firewalls. None of the data we collect is released to any unrelated third party. All data is processed in house by our own staff.

We retain data for as long as we need it or until you request that the data is destroyed or erased.

Data Protection

You have various entitlements under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the way in which we comply with these is set out below.

If there are any changes in the information you have given to us, please inform us of these changes using the email address at the end of this privacy policy. If you feel that any of the information we hold about you is inaccurate or if you wish to withdraw your consent to us dealing with your data in any way please let us know using the same email address.

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, please email or write to us at the address at the bottom of this privacy policy. We may make a small charge for this service.

If you feel that the way we are handling or using your data is causing you damage or distress or if you have any other complaints please contact our Town Clerk using the postal address on the Contact Us menu on our homepage and we will endeavour to rectify the situation.

You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

This Privacy Notice is provided to you by Ware Town Council which is the data controller for your data.

Your personal data – what is it?

Personal data is any information about a living individual which allows them to be identified from that data (for example a name, photographs, videos, email address, or address). The processing of personal data is governed by legislation relating to personal data which applies in the United Kingdom including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other legislation relating to personal data and rights such as the Human Rights Act.

Making sure your data is safe.

GDPR is designed to create common privacy requirements across the EU. It is a development of existing data protection legislation and is based on seven key principles that can be summarised as:

Personal information that we hold will be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.
Personal data will only be used for specific and legitimate purposes.
The information that we hold shall be limited to what is necessary.
Information shall be accurate.
Information shall be held no longer than is necessary.
Information shall be kept safe and secure.
We are accountable and can demonstrate compliance with GDPR.

Other data controllers the council works with:

We may need to share your personal data with others tiers of local government and partners so that they can carry out their responsibilities to the council.

The council will process some or all of the following personal data where necessary to perform its tasks:

Names, titles, and aliases, photographs;
Contact details such as telephone numbers, addresses, and email addresses;
Where they are relevant to the services provided by a council, or where you provide them to us, we may process information such as gender, age, marital status, nationality, education/work history, academic/professional qualifications, hobbies, family composition, and dependants.
Where you pay for activities such as use of a council facility, financial identifiers such as bank account numbers, payment card numbers, payment/transaction identifiers.

How we use sensitive personal data:

We may process personal data including, as appropriate:

Your racial or ethnic origin or religious or similar information in order to monitor compliance with equal opportunities legislation;
in order to comply with legal requirements and obligations to third parties.

These types of data are described in the GDPR as “Special categories of data” and require higher levels of protection. We need to have further justification for collecting, storing and using this type of personal data.

We may process special categories of personal data in the following circumstances:

In limited circumstances, with your explicit written consent.
Where we need to carry out our legal obligations.
Where it is needed in the public interest.

Less commonly, we may process this type of personal data where it is needed in relation to legal claims or where it is needed to protect your interests (or someone else’s interests) and you are not capable of giving your consent, or where you have already made the information public.

Do we need your consent to process your sensitive personal data?

In limited circumstances, we may approach you for your written consent to allow us to process certain sensitive personal data. If we do so, we will provide you with full details of the personal data that we would like and the reason we need it, so that you can carefully consider whether you wish to consent.

We use your personal data for some or all of the following purposes:

To deliver public services including to understand your needs to provide the services that you request and to understand what we can do for you and inform you of other relevant services;
To confirm your identity to provide some services;
To contact you by post, email, telephone or using social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram or X);
To help us to build up a picture of how we are performing;
To prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the use of public funds and where necessary for the law enforcement functions;
To enable us to meet all legal and statutory obligations and powers including any delegated functions;
To carry out comprehensive safeguarding procedures (including due diligence and complaints handling) in accordance with best safeguarding practice from time to time with the aim of ensuring that all children and adults-at-risk are provided with safe environments and generally as necessary to protect individuals from harm or injury;
To promote the interests of the council;
To maintain our own accounts and records;
To seek your views, opinions or comments;
To notify you of changes to our facilities, services, events and staff, councillors and other role holders;
To send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you. These may include information about campaigns, appeals, other new projects or initiatives;
To process relevant financial transactions including grants and payments for goods and services supplied to the council
To allow the statistical analysis of data so we can plan the provision of services.

Our processing may also include the use of CCTV systems for the prevention and prosecution of crime.

What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

The council is a public authority and has certain powers and obligations. Most of your personal data is processed for compliance with a legal obligation which includes the discharge of the council’s statutory functions and powers. Sometimes when exercising these powers or duties it is necessary to process personal data of residents or people using the council’s services. We will always take into account your interests and rights. This Privacy Notice sets out your rights and the council’s obligations to you.

We may process personal data if it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to take steps to enter into a contract. An example of this would be processing your data in connection with the use of sports facilities, or the acceptance of an allotment garden tenancy

Sometimes the use of your personal data requires your consent. We will first obtain your consent to that use.

Your rights and your personal data

You have the following rights with respect to your personal data. When exercising any of the rights listed below, in order to process your request, we may need to verify your identity for your security. In such cases we will need you to respond with proof of your identity before you can exercise these rights.

The right to access personal data we hold on you.
At any point you can contact us to request the personal data we hold on you as well as why we have that personal data, who has access to the personal data and where we obtained the personal data from. Once we have received your request we will respond within one month.
There are no fees or charges for the first request but additional requests for the same personal data or requests which are manifestly unfounded or excessive may be subject to an administrative fee.
The right to correct and update the personal data we hold on you.
If the data we hold on you is out of date, incomplete or incorrect, you can inform us and your data will be updated.
The right to have your personal data erased.
If you feel that we should no longer be using your personal data or that we are unlawfully using your personal data, you can request that we erase the personal data we hold.When we receive your request we will confirm whether the personal data has been deleted or the reason why it cannot be deleted (for example because we need it for to comply with a legal obligation).
The right to data portability.
You have the right to request that we transfer some of your data to another controller. We will comply with your request, where it is feasible to do so, within one month of receiving your request.
The right to object to processing of your personal data or to restrict it to certain purposes only.
You have the right to request that we stop processing your personal data or ask us to restrict processing. Upon receiving the request we will contact you and let you know if we are able to comply or if we have a legal obligation to continue to process your data.
The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time for any processing of data to which consent was obtained.
You can withdraw your consent easily by telephone, email, or by post (see Contact Us menu on our website).
The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Changes to this notice

We keep this Privacy Notice under regular review and we will place any updates on this web page. This Notice was last updated in November 2024.

Contact Details

Please contact us (The Data Controller) if you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or the personal data we hold about you or to exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints.

The Data Controller, Ware Town Council, The Priory, High Street, Ware, SG12 9AL.

Tel: 01920 460316

Email: [email protected]

Ware Town Council is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (registration Z6066656).

Cookie Notice

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

By continuing to browse the website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies as set out by this notice.

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Information about cookies

A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that, if you agree to their use, is stored on your browser or the hard drive of your computer or device. They contain information that is transferred to your hard drive.

The cookies that we could use can be split into the following categories:

Strictly necessary cookies: These are cookies that are required for the operation of the website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into parts of the website.
Analytical/performance cookies: These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to the website and to see how they move around within the website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way the website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
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How you can block 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, please be aware that blocking cookies may affect your ability to use the website. In particular, you may not be able to access all or parts of the website or use the functionalities contained on it.

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