1. Introduction Cradley and Storridge Parish Council (“the Council”, “we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal data is handled securely and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. This Privacy and Cookie Policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our website.

2. Information We Collect When you use our website, we may collect the following types of information:

• Personal data you provide when contacting us via forms, emails, or phone calls (e.g., name, email address, phone number, postal address).
• Technical data such as IP addresses, browser types, operating systems, and usage statistics collected through cookies and analytics tools.

3. How We Use Your Information We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries and provide services.
• To maintain and improve our website and services.
• To comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements.

4. Legal Basis for Processing Data We process personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Your consent, where applicable.
• The performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority.
• Compliance with legal obligations.

5. Data Retention We will retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

6. Data Sharing We do not sell or rent your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties who provide services on our behalf, such as IT support providers, only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place.

7. Your Rights You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data.
• The right to object to or restrict processing.
• The right to withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

To exercise these rights, please contact us at clerk@cradleyandstorridge-pc.gov.uk.

8. Security Measures We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies? Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help improve user experience, analyse website usage, and support website functionality.

2. Types of Cookies We Use We use the following types of cookies:

• Necessary Cookies: Essential for website functionality.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics).
• Functional Cookies: Enhance website performance and usability.

3. Managing Cookies You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

4. Third-Party Cookies Some pages may contain embedded content from third parties (e.g., social media plugins, maps, or videos). These services may set their own cookies, which we do not control.

5. Changes to This Policy We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

For further information, please contact us at clerk@cradleyandstorridge-pc.gov.uk.