Privacy and cookies

Waltham Forest Council does not automatically capture your personal information when you visit our website unless the information is volunteered. Personal data is only collected when you complete an online form, or use an online service like My Place, that provides information personal to you or when you send an email to the Council.

NON-PERSONAL INFORMATION

You can access and browse our website without disclosing personal data. This may be done by simply not completing an online form or service, or by not sending us emails.

Non-personal information is recorded automatically in two ways:

• By the web server that powers this web site. This data includes the pages visited by an individual, the user’s IP address, the time of the visit, and the order of pages viewed. This information is for the sole purpose of making the website as responsive to visitors’ needs as possible
• By Google Analytics. Google Analytics uses ‘cookies’ to help analyse how people are using the web site. Please see below for more details

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (‘Google’).

Google Analytics uses “cookies“, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

Google uses this information to evaluate your use of our website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf.

Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

THE PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you submit personal information to us, you are allowing and consenting to that information being used by us for the purpose of that service. All our employees and processors who have access to your personal data or who are involved in processing that data are obliged to respect your confidentiality. Information will not be passed onto third parties unless you grant permission.

Personal information is collected from you when you complete an online form, use an online service like My Place, which provides information personal to you or when you send an email to the Council.

This information will only be used for the purpose it was collected for.

We may pass your details on to third party service providers who are contracted to Waltham Forest Council to provide services on our behalf in the course of dealing with your request. These third parties are obliged to keep your details securely, will use them only to fulfil the request and will dispose of the information at the appropriate time.

If you do not wish certain information about you to be exchanged within the Council, you can request that this does not happen.

The Council will only disclose your information if it is lawful to do so in accordance with the principles under the Data Protection Act 1998. Further information as to what information and activities the Data Protection Act covers and how the Council complies with this Act can be found here.

CONFIDENTIALITY/SECURITY

We use a secure, encrypted transmission method to protect the information you send to us via the website.

All our employees and data processors with access to, and associated with the processing of, personal data are obliged to respect the confidentiality of our visitors’ personal data.

We ensure that your personal data will not be disclosed to government institutions and authorities except if required by law or other regulation, or as stated on individual online forms.

SENDING US AN EMAIL

Please note that the transmission of information by email to us is not a secure process and should not be used to send confidential or sensitive information.

The use of our email system may be monitored and communications read in order to secure effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Our site contains links to other websites. This privacy policy applies only to Waltham Forest Council’s website. When you are transferring to another site you should read their privacy statement for their policy on the use of personal information.

LEGAL DEFINITIONS

In terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, Waltham Forest Council is the data controller of personal data (information relating to identifiable living individuals) collected or obtained by or through this website.

Any personal data collected through this website will be treated as confidential under the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Council is registered with the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998 and as a data controller (registration number 5492675).

CHANGES

If this privacy statement changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page.