Privacy & Cookie Policy
Key details
This website privacy policy describes how Our West Lancashire protects and makes use of the information you give us when you use this website.
If you are asked to provide information when using this website, it will only be used in the ways described in this privacy policy.
This policy is updated from time to time. The latest version is published on this page.
This website privacy policy was updated on: 27 January 2024
If you have any questions about this policy, please email office@ourwestlancashire.com or write to: 79 Liverpool Road, Bickerstaffe, Ormskirk, L39 0EG
Introduction
We gather and use certain information about individuals in order to help us better represent residents and their concerns and to enable certain functions on this website.
We also collect information to better understand how visitors use this website and to present timely, relevant information to them.
What data we gather
We may collect the following information:
Name
Contact information including email address
Demographic information, such as postcode, preferences and interests
Website usage data
Other information pertaining to surveys
How we use this data
Collecting this data helps us understand what concerns you have about local matters and the affairs of the local councils in West Lancashire, enabling us to hopefully represent you better.
If you sign a petition, we will share your basic contact data (i.e., Name and address only) with the recipient of that petition.
Specifically, we may use data:
For our own internal records.
To improve the policies we advocate and campaigns we run.
To contact you in response to a specific enquiry.
To customise the website for you.
To send you promotional emails or mailings or to call you about political campaigns we are running and matters locally which we feel may be of interest to you.
Cookies and how we use them:
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small file placed on your computer’s hard drive. It enables our website to identify your computer as you view different pages on our website. Cookies allow websites and applications to store your preferences in order to present content, options or functions that are specific to you. They also enable us to see information like how many people use the website and what pages they tend to visit.
We may use cookies to:
Analyse our web traffic using an analytics package. Aggregated usage data helps us improve the website structure, design, content and functions.
Identify whether you are signed in to our website. A cookie allows us to check whether you are signed in to the site.
Store information about your preferences. The website can then present you with information you will find more relevant and interesting.
To recognise when you return to our website. We may show your relevant content, or provide functionality you used previously.
Cookies do not provide us with access to your computer or any information about you, other than that which you choose to share with us.
Controlling cookies
You can use your web browser’s cookie settings to determine how our website uses cookies. If you do not want our website to store cookies on your computer or device, you should set your web browser to refuse cookies.
However, please note that doing this may affect how our website functions. Some pages and services may become unavailable to you.
Unless you have changed your browser to refuse cookies, our website will issue cookies when you visit it.
To learn more about cookies and how they are used, visit All About Cookies.
Controlling information about you
When you fill in our feedback form on the Contact Us page or Sign Up to Help, we will hold the information you provide for the purpose of dealing with the matter you raise.
When you complete the sign-up to our Newsletter the data you provide is held securely by MailChimp and Sender.net for the purposes of email communication. There is a double opt-in process to ensure that you personally have completed the sign-up and an unsubscribe option at any time.
When you sign one of our petitions the data you provide is held securely by Our West Lancashire for the purpose of petition administration only. If you opt to receive emails from Our West Lancashire during the petition signing we will input your contact details into the MailChimp or the Sender.net system for email communication.
You may also have your information deleted by sending an email to office@ourwestlancashire.com or write to us at 79 Liverpool Road, Bickerstaffe, Ormskirk, L39 0EG.
We will never lease, distribute or sell your personal information to third parties, without your explicit consent.
We are registered with the Data Protection Registrar. Any personal information we hold about you is stored and processed under the principles of good data protection in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation.
Security
We will always hold your information securely.
To prevent unauthorised disclosure or access to your information, we have implemented strong physical and electronic security safeguards.
We also follow stringent procedures to ensure we work with all personal data in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation.
Links from our site
Our website may contain links to other websites.
Please note that we have no control of websites outside the Our West Lancashire domain. If you provide information to a website to which we link, we are not responsible for its protection and privacy.
Always be wary when submitting data to websites. Read the site’s data protection and privacy policies fully.