The following statement explains Calderdale Council’s policy regarding the personal information you may give to us when using our web site (www.calderdale.gov.uk). Our aim is to respect your privacy in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998(external link) and to meet current internet best practice.
1. Statement of Intent
From time to time, you will be asked to submit personal information about yourself (eg name and e-mail address etc) in order to receive or use services on our web site or to enable the relevant council department to contact you. Such services include feedback forms, complaint forms, consultation questionnaires, and reviews. Whenever you provide such personal information, we will treat it in accordance with this policy.
2. Cookies
The following information explains Calderdale Council’s cookie policy. We have tried to keep it as simple as possible, but if you’re not familiar with terms like ‘cookies’ and ‘browsers’, then you can read more about them at All about cookies(external link)
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file, which is sent to your computer, mobile-phone or other device when you visit a website. Cookies are typically used to improve services, and many big websites place cookies whenever a user visits their site.
The cookie is typically used to improve services by:
- measuring how visitors are using the website, in order to help us to provide you with a better user experience.
A cookie only contains data, not code, so it can’t contain a virus or spyware. Neither can cookies be used to collect personally identifiable information about you. You can manage and/or delete these small files as you wish. You can also set your browser to refuse all cookies or to inform you every time a cookie is being sent. However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.
How do Calderdale Council use cookies?
The Calderdale Council website uses cookies in several places. They are listed below with more details about why they are used and how long they will last.
| Functionality | Description | Cookie name |
|---|---|---|
| Google analytics | These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our website. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited. For more information, please visit Cookies and Google analytics(external link) | _utma; _utmb; _utmc; _utmz; _utmd |
| Cookie control | This cookie is used to remember what option the visitor has selected – ‘always allow cookies’, or ‘ignore’. | cookieLaw |
How to reject cookies
Calderdale Council will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, if you wish to restrict or block the cookies which are set by the Calderdale Council website, or indeed any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. All recent versions of popular browsers give users a level of control over cookies. The ‘help’ function within your browser should tell you how.
Alternatively, you may wish to visit All about cookies(external link) which contains comprehensive information on how to manage and delete cookies as well as more general information about cookies. For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone you will need to refer to the relevant handset manual.
However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.
3. Submitting Personal Information
When you supply any personal information to Calderdale Council through this web site we have legal obligations towards you (as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998(external link) ) in the way we deal with that data. We will only use your information for the purpose for which you have given it, eg to refer your details onto a Council service area. We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as you use the service you have requested, and remove it in the event that the purpose has been met. We will not sell, assign, disclose or rent your personal information to any other external organisation or individual. We will not use your personal information for marketing.
4. Users under 18
If you are under 18, please make sure that you obtain your parent / guardian’s permission beforehand whenever you provide personal information to the Calderdale Council web site. Users without this consent are not allowed to provide us with personal information.
5. Your Consent
By using our web site you consent to the use of your information in the way set out above. If we decide to change our privacy policy we will post changes on this page so that you are kept informed.