How We Use Cookies and Similar Technologies
This page explains the cookies we use on councilbincollection.org/, what each one does, the controls you have, and how we apply UK GDPR consent rules and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).
What’s on this page
1. What Cookies Are
A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies let a site remember your settings, whether you’ve dismissed a banner, or your session as you click around. Beyond classic cookies, websites use related technologies that do similar work: local storage, session storage, pixel tags / web beacons, and SDKs. On this page, “cookies” means all of these unless we say otherwise.
Under PECR, the law that applies to cookies in the UK, almost anything stored on your device that isn’t strictly necessary for a service you have requested needs your consent before it’s set. We follow that rule.
2. Why We Use Cookies
- To make the site work. Pages need to load, sessions need to stay consistent, and the cookie banner needs to remember your answer.
- To remember your preferences. Once you’ve set a cookie choice, we remember it so we don’t ask you again on every page.
- To measure how the site is used. Anonymous analytics tells us which content is useful, which pages have problems, and where readers drop off.
- To support advertising. Display advertising funds the site. Advertising cookies help limit how often the same ad shows and measure ad performance.
3. The Four Categories
| Category | What it does | PECR consent required? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Lets the site load, serves the right page, protects against abuse, remembers your cookie choice | No (PECR exemption — strictly necessary for the service you have requested) |
| Functional | Remembers preferences such as text size, dismissed notices | Yes — opt-in via the banner |
| Analytics / performance | Counts visits, measures speed, identifies broken links | Yes — opt-in via the banner |
| Advertising / targeting | Limits ad frequency, measures ad performance, supports relevant ads | Yes — opt-in via the banner |
4. First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are set by councilbincollection.org/ directly:
| Name | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| cbc_consent | Stores your cookie consent choice | Strictly necessary | 12 months |
| cbc_pref | Remembers display preferences and dismissed banners | Functional | 6 months |
| cbc_session | Maintains your session across pages so the site loads consistently | Strictly necessary | Session (deleted when you close the browser) |
| cbc_csrf | Security token used to protect against cross-site request forgery on contact forms | Strictly necessary | Session |
5. Third-Party Cookies
Third-party cookies are set by other companies whose services we use, only after consent is given:
| Vendor | Purpose | Category | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Aggregate, anonymised site analytics | Analytics | policies.google.com/privacy · Opt-out add-on |
| Google AdSense | Display advertising, frequency capping, ad measurement | Advertising | policies.google.com/technologies/ads |
| Cloudflare | Security, bot mitigation, content delivery | Strictly necessary | cloudflare.com/privacypolicy |
| Google Maps (when embedded) | Map display for HWRC and council office locations | Functional | policies.google.com/privacy |
We don’t use cookies that fingerprint your device, sell your data to data brokers, or build cross-site behavioural profiles for resale beyond standard advertising frequency-capping and measurement.
6. Session vs Persistent Cookies
- Session cookies are temporary. They are deleted automatically when you close your browser. Most security and “remember which page you’re on” cookies are session cookies.
- Persistent cookies stay on your device for a set period — anywhere from a day to a year or more. Cookies that remember your consent choice or analytics identifiers are persistent.
7. UK GDPR and PECR Consent
Under UK GDPR and PECR, we ask for your opt-in consent before placing any non-essential cookie. Our banner appears on first visit and on consent expiry, and gives you four equal options:
- Accept all — consent to all cookie categories
- Reject all — only strictly necessary cookies are set
- Manage preferences — opt in or out of each category individually
- Close the banner — treated as a refusal of non-essential cookies
Strictly necessary cookies — the ones the site needs to function and to remember your consent choice — are set without consent because PECR specifically exempts them. Everything else waits.
The ICO’s guidance is clear that rejecting cookies must be no more difficult than accepting them. Our banner gives both options on the first screen. You can also withdraw consent later at any time using the “Cookie settings” link in the footer.
8. Changing Your Cookie Choices
You can re-open the cookie preference panel at any time by clicking “Cookie settings” in the site footer. Changes apply immediately. You can also clear cookies entirely using your browser’s privacy settings (see Section 9). Withdrawing consent stops new processing under that consent — it does not undo processing that lawfully took place beforehand. Analytics already collected anonymously is retained on the standard schedule in our Privacy Policy.
9. Browser-Level Controls
Every modern browser gives you tools to view, block and delete cookies — including ones we don’t control. These settings work across every site you visit:
- Google Chrome: Manage cookies in Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox: Cookies in Firefox
- Apple Safari (Mac): Manage cookies in Safari
- Microsoft Edge: Cookies in Edge
- Brave Browser: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Opera: Settings → Advanced → Privacy and security → Cookies
The site will still load, but some functions may break — your consent choice won’t save, you may see the cookie banner on every visit, and certain interactive features may not work. Blocking strictly necessary cookies isn’t recommended.
10. Mobile Device Controls
- iPhone / iPad (iOS): Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → toggle off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” Also: Settings → Privacy & Security → Apple Advertising → toggle off “Personalised Ads.”
- Android: Settings → Google → Ads → toggle on “Opt out of Ads Personalisation” (or, in newer Android versions, “Delete advertising ID”).
- Browser apps on mobile have their own cookie controls inside the app’s Settings menu.
11. Industry Opt-Outs
Industry-wide opt-out tools let you reject personalised advertising across many sites at once:
- Your Online Choices (EU/UK): youronlinechoices.com/uk
- Google Ad Settings: adssettings.google.com
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): optout.networkadvertising.org
- Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): optout.aboutads.info
These tools work by setting opt-out cookies in your browser, so you’ll need to re-apply them on each device and browser you use.
12. Changes to This Policy
If we add a new vendor, change cookie durations or update our consent tools, we will revise this page and update the “Last reviewed” date at the top. Substantive changes — for example, adding a new advertising vendor or new tracking category — will trigger a refreshed cookie banner so you can review and re-confirm your choices.
For broader detail on how cookie data sits within our overall privacy practice, see our Privacy Policy. To complain to the ICO about cookies on this site, see ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/cookies.
13. Questions About Cookies
- Email: info@councilbincollection.org
- Subject line: “Cookies”
Adjust Your Cookie Settings Anytime
Use the “Cookie settings” link in the site footer to change your choices. We treat “Reject all” as easy as “Accept all” — that’s a UK GDPR/PECR requirement and we follow it.
📧 info@councilbincollection.org