Introduction

The General Data Protection Regulations (“GDPR”) came into force on 25th May 2018 to control the use of personal data. Under GDPR, personal data is any information which can directly or indirectly identify a living person.

Smith and Love Planning Consultancy Limited take your privacy seriously, and we have updated our privacy policy to set out how we operate in compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This privacy policy covers:

• Who we are
• What personal data we collect
• How we collect your data
• What we do with your data
• Why we process your data and the lawful basis for processing
• Where we store your data and how we protect it
• Who we share your data with
• What is our marketing policy
• How we use your data on our website
• Your rights

Who we are

Smith & Love Planning Consultancy is a planning consultancy based in Preston. We provide planning consulting and advisory services to assist businesses with their land and property needs.

As part of handling and processing your data, we have a designated Data Controller who will be the contact if you have any queries or issues about what we do or why we do it.

Our Data Controller is: Smith & Love Planning Consultants (Company number 8449131).

Contact details:
Smith and Love Planning Consultants Limited
Rational House,
32 Winckley Square,
Preston
PR1 3JJ

info@sl-planning.co.uk

We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (“ICO”).

This policy was last updated on 8th July 2025. We regularly review and update our privacy practices to ensure compliance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and other relevant regulations.

What personal data we collect

We may collect the following personal data on you:

• Identity data e.g. full name
• Contact data e.g. addresses, phone numbers, email addresses
• Transaction data e.g. history of current or previous services provided to you
• Financial data e.g. banking details from invoice payments
• Technical data e.g. analytics data from our website

We do not store or collect any data on IP addresses or use data to identify individuals.

Data Protection Law recognises that certain categories of personal information are more sensitive. These are known as special categories of data and cover health information, race, religious beliefs, and political opinions. We do not collect any sensitive data.

How we collect your data

We collect your data in the following ways:

• From meeting you in person and exchanging contact details e.g. through business cards
• Through enquiries about our services on phone calls and emails
• From your appointed representatives
• Through publicly available channels (both online and in hard copy) such as web searches, Companies House, and published directories (including papers and magazines)
• From customers themselves providing information in order for us to advise them under the terms of our contractual obligations
• From our business network of contacts

What we do with your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Fulfilling an agreed contract to provide services to you
• Notifying you of any changes to our service
• Invoicing you under the terms of our contract
• Building a network of business contacts who may be sources of referral both to us and to assist our customers and form part of a project team
• Prospecting to source new customers to build our business
• Responding to your queries about our services
• Maintaining contact with customers or reconnecting after a period of time with a view to providing additional services
• Paying suppliers by using their bank details
• Providing information on services, news, or other relevant information that may be of interest to you
• Reviewing website analytics to tailor our online presence to our current and prospective customers
• Maintaining information to complete our records

Why we process your data and the lawful basis for processing

We process data to provide planning consultancy and advisory services; promote our business; maintain our accounts and records; and support and manage our staff.

The UK GDPR provides six lawful bases for processing data. We process your data on two main grounds:

• Contractual Obligations (Article 6(1)(b)): It is necessary for us to process customer data to deliver on our contractual obligations to complete a service under agreed terms of engagement, which may be verbal, through a written contract, or via email.
• Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)): It is in our legitimate interests to keep you informed of our services, provide updates on news or offers, and share other relevant business information to retain your custom or potentially supply you with our services. When relying on legitimate interests, we ensure your rights and interests are considered and balanced.

Where we store your data and how we protect it

We store your data in secure electronic files which are backed up using secure cloud storage. All paper documents and backup hard drives are stored in a secure location in line with our information security policy.

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. For example:

• Customer contact data: Retained for 6 years after the end of our contractual relationship to comply with legal obligations.
• Marketing data: Retained until you withdraw your consent or request deletion.
• Financial data: Retained for 7 years to meet tax and accounting requirements.

At the end of the retention period, your data is securely deleted or anonymized, and hard copies are shredded.

Who we share your data with

We may share your data with third-party business associates or other advisors to fulfill our contractual obligations to you or where they can offer services that may be of assistance to you.

What is our marketing policy

We may contact you by email, telephone, or post to provide details of our services for marketing purposes. For electronic marketing communications (e.g., emails), we rely on your consent in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us at info@sl-planning.co.uk. For non-electronic marketing, we may rely on legitimate interest, ensuring your rights and interests are considered.

How we use your data on our website

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience and analyze site usage. We use the following types of cookies:

• Functional Cookies: These are necessary for the website to function properly.
• Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous data about how visitors use our site, helping us improve our services.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or by using the cookie consent banner on our website. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

We do not use your data for the purposes of profiling or automated decision-making that produces legal effects or similarly significant impacts on you. If we decide to implement such processes in the future, we will update this policy and inform you of your rights under Article 22 of the UK GDPR.

Transferring data outside of the UK or European Economic Area (“EEA”)

We do not transfer your personal data outside of the UK or the EEA except in limited circumstances. For example, we use Google Analytics, which may involve transferring data to servers located in the United States. In such cases, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) updated in 2021, to protect your data in compliance with Chapter V of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to access your data
• The right to rectify inaccurate data
• The right to erasure (to be forgotten)
• The right to restrict processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object to processing
• The right to withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Controller at info@sl-planning.co.uk. We will respond to your request within one month, as required by Article 12(3) of the UK GDPR.

Right to access, edit, or update your personal information

You have the right to request a copy of the information we hold about you. Please contact us if you wish to receive a copy of your personal data. We will provide a copy within one month.

If any data we hold is inaccurate or out of date, please contact us, and we will rectify it as soon as possible, and at the latest within one month.

Right to be forgotten

If you ask for your personal data to be removed from our systems, we will do so within one month of receiving your request. You can also opt out of email correspondence by contacting us at info@sl-planning.co.uk.

Right to restrict processing

You can withdraw consent for any aspect of data processing at any time. However, we may need to retain certain data to fulfill our contractual obligations. If you withdraw consent, we will retain only what is necessary and an identifier to ensure we do not collect your data again.

Right to object or complain

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you feel we have not met our obligations. More information can be found at https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/raising-concerns/.

Additional Notes

• Children’s Data: We do not knowingly collect or process personal data from individuals under the age of 16. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will take steps to delete it as soon as possible.
• External Links: Our website may include links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for how these sites handle your data.