Privacy Policy

South East Councils is the data controller for all personal information collected via this website.

1. Data protection

This privacy policy governs the use of the Website www.secouncils.gov.uk (the “Website”).

This website (www.secouncils.gov.uk) uses a database to store personal information. This website is created by and is the sole responsibility of South East Councils. This privacy policy exists to inform our Users of the existence of this database and how it is operated.

2. Our use of your personal information

Information on Users is collected by South East Councils from contact forms and subscribe forms on the website and are obtained by South East Councils for the sole purpose of delivering the services offered via the Website; including providing information, responses to enquiries and other relevant services that may be of interest to the User.

3. Optional and compulsory information

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) on the contact form must be completed in order for requests to be processed. The other fields are optional.

The user guarantees that the information provided is truthful and is responsible for informing us of any changes and keeping it up-to-date.

4. Mailinglist and electronic communication

South East Councils sends users who have given their prior consent, either through a contact form or subscribe form on this website, emails that include the most relevant information and news related to South East Councils. We do this using a CRM tool called MailChimp, and the MailChimp privacy policy applies. The user can unsubscribe from these emails at any time through a link at the foot of any Mailchimp email.

South East Councils will send electronic communications with information on services and events that may be of interest to the User, when expressly requested. Consent to receiving these communications can be cancelled at any time.

5. Data sharing

Please be assured that we will not, under any circumstances, sell or share your data with anyone for marketing purposes and you will not receive offers from other companies or organisations as a result of sharing your personal details with us.

We may need to share limited information with our service providers who help us to prepare and send you our communications and other responses. However, we will not allow these organisations to use your data for their own purposes and will take care to ensure that they keep your data secure.

This website uses contact forms protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

6. Security

South East Councils takes the security of personal information very seriously, and has put all the necessary technical measures in place in order to avoid the loss, misuse, altering, unauthorised access or theft of information provided by Users via the Website.

7. Data retention

Our website stores the following User data:

Contact Forms:

The following personal data is collected and stored for a total period of 12 months and used for processing enquiries only.

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number

Subscribing to our mailing list through forms on this website:

The following data is collected and stored securely on our Mailchimp database ONLY when a user has subscribed. The MailChimp privacy policy applies. You may opt-out of email marketing at any time.

  • Full name
  • Email address

7.1 Data Collection and Retention for elected representatives from member councils

As a membership association, South East Councils (SEC) will collect and hold contact information for elected representatives from member councils.  The contact information held is publicly available information sourced from the websites of individual member councils. This is used to update and inform SEC member council representatives of developments of interest. 

The contact information is reviewed annually, usually after councils have their annual meetings (in May or June) where they nominate representatives to SEC. Any previous contact information is deleted and no longer by the SEC Secretariat. At anytime any individual councillor is able to request their details be removed and not retained by SEC.

 

8. Cookies and IPs

The User accepts the use of cookies and IP monitoring. Our traffic analyst “Google Analytics” uses cookies and IP monitoring to gather statistical data such as: date of first visit, number of visits, date of last visit, source URL and domain, explorer used and screen resolution. However, if desired, the User can de-activate and/ or delete these cookies by following the instructions on their Internet browser.

South East Councils does not use spamming techniques and will only deal with information that the User provides through the electronic forms on the Website or by email.

The use of information of a personal nature and the sending of electronic commercial communications comply with the current Data Protection Act and all its amendments.

For more information view our cookie policy.

9. Right of Access, Opposition, Cancellation and Rectification

Under data protection legislation, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the information we hold about you (Subject Access Request);
  • Be informed of the identity of the controller, the reasons for processing your personal data and other relevant information necessary to ensure the fair and transparent processing of personal data;
  • Object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress;
  • Prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing;
  • Object to decisions being taken by automated means;
  • In certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and/or
  • Claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the data protection regulations.

These rights can be exercised through the configuration of the webpage itself. In case of problems exercising these rights online, or of any other type of doubt or query regarding our privacy policy, please contact us:

Email: 

All treatment of personal information and communications made by electronic means meets the legal requirements established by the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

10. Amendment of this Privacy Policy

South East Councils reserves the right to modify this policy, adapt it to future legislative regulations or jurisprudence and to industry practices.