PRIVACY POLICY Last updated July 07, 2025 Important Note on Data Retention: While general inquiries are retained for up to 2 years, please be aware that information relating to client projects, contractual agreements, and financial records is retained for a period of 7 years from the completion of the project. This longer retention period is necessary to meet our legal obligations (such as tax and accounting requirements) and for historical project reference. This Privacy Notice for KEC Design and Consultancy Ltd (doing business as Katharine Cook Design & Consultancy) ('we', 'us', or 'our'), describes how and why we might access, collect, store, use, and/or share ('process') your personal information when you use our services ('Services'), including when you: •Visit our website at https://www.katharinecookdesign.com or any website of ours that links to this Privacy Notice •Use our services, including Landscape Design and horticultural consultancy. Katharine Cook Design and Consultancy offers bespoke garden design and horticultural consultancy services for discerning homeowners. We specialise in creating elegant, enduring, and ecologically intelligent outdoor spaces, rooted in Kew-trained expertise and a commitment to timeless design. •Engage with us in other related ways, including any sales, marketing, or events Questions or concerns? Reading this Privacy Notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. We are responsible for making decisions about how your personal information is processed. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at k.cook@katharinecookdesign.com. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS This summary provides key points from our Privacy Notice, but you can find out more details about any of these topics by clicking the link following each key point or by using our table of contents below to find the section you are looking for. What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. Learn more about personal information you disclose to us. Do we process any sensitive personal information? Some of the information may be considered 'special' or 'sensitive' in certain jurisdictions, for example your racial or ethnic origins, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. We do not process sensitive personal information. Do we collect any information from third parties? We do not collect any information from third parties. How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so. Learn more about how we process your information. In what situations and with which types of parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific categories of third parties. Learn more about when and with whom we share your personal information. How do we keep your information safe? We have adequate organisational and technical processes and procedures in place to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Learn more about how we keep your information safe. What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information. Learn more about your privacy rights. How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by submitting a data subject access request, or by contacting us. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. Want to learn more about what we do with any information we collect? Review the Privacy Notice in full. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT? 2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION? 3. WHAT LEGAL BASES DO WE RELY ON TO PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? 4. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? 5. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES? 6. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION? 7. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE? 8. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS? 9. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS? 10. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES 11. SHARING DATA WITH THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS 12. PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDIES 13. DATA COLLECTED DURING SITE VISITS AND CONSULTATIONS 14. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE? 15. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE? 16. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU? 1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT? Personal information you disclose to us In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us. We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us. Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following: •names •phone numbers •email addresses •mailing addresses Sensitive Information. We do not process sensitive information. All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information. Information automatically collected In Short: Some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services. We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information. This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Services, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes. Like many businesses, we also collect information through cookies and similar technologies. You can find out more about this in our Cookie Notice: https://kc_designs.wixsite.com/gardendesigncons1/privacy-policy. The information we collect includes: •Log and Usage Data. Log and usage data is service-related, diagnostic, usage, and performance information our servers automatically collect when you access or use our Services and which we record in log files. Depending on how you interact with us, this log data may include your IP address, device information, browser type, and settings and information about your activity in the Services (such as the date/time stamps associated with your usage, pages and files viewed, searches, and other actions you take such as which features you use), device event information (such as system activity, error reports (sometimes called 'crash dumps'), and hardware settings). •Device Data. We collect device data such as information about your computer, phone, tablet, or other device you use to access the Services. Depending on the device used, this device data may include information such as your IP address (or proxy server), device and application identification numbers, location, browser type, hardware model, Internet service provider and/or mobile carrier, operating system, and system configuration information. •Location Data. We collect location data such as information about your device's location, which can be either precise or imprecise. How much information we collect depends on the type and settings of the device you use to access the Services. For example, we may use GPS and other technologies to collect geolocation data that tells us your current location (based on your IP address). You can opt out of allowing us to collect this information either by refusing access to the information or by disabling your Location setting on your device. However, if you choose to opt out, you may not be able to use certain aspects of the Services. 2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION? In Short: We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including: •To deliver and facilitate delivery of services to the user. We may process your information to provide you with the requested service. •To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may process your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any potential issues you might have with the requested service. •To send administrative information to you. We may process your information to send you details about our products and services, changes to our terms and policies, and other similar information. •To fulfil and manage your orders. We may process your information to fulfil and manage your orders, payments, returns, and exchanges made through the Services. •To request feedback. We may process your information when necessary to request feedback and to contact you about your use of our Services. •To protect our Services. We may process your information as part of our efforts to keep our Services safe and secure, including fraud monitoring and prevention. •To save or protect an individual's vital interest. We may process your information when necessary to save or protect an individual’s vital interest, such as to prevent harm. •To send service updates relevant to past projects. Permission to contact a present or former client with information pertinent to their design and build in order to protect their investment, e.g. an update about a plant disease that could affect plants in their garden or information on a best practice for a feature in their garden. •To showcase anonymised project data as case study examples. Permission to use anonymised data that shows potential clients the services provided 3. WHAT LEGAL BASES DO WE RELY ON TO PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION? In Short: We only process your personal information when we believe it is necessary and we have a valid legal reason (i.e. legal basis) to do so under applicable law, like with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services to enter into or fulfil our contractual obligations, to protect your rights, or to fulfil our legitimate business interests. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR require us to explain the valid legal bases we rely on in order to process your personal information. As such, we may rely on the following legal bases to process your personal information: •Consent. We may process your information if you have given us permission (i.e. consent) to use your personal information for a specific purpose. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Learn more about withdrawing your consent. •Performance of a Contract. We may process your personal information when we believe it is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations to you, including providing our Services or at your request prior to entering into a contract with you. •Legitimate Interests. We may process your information when we believe it is reasonably necessary to achieve our legitimate business interests and those interests do not outweigh your interests and fundamental rights and freedoms. For example, we may process your personal information for some of the purposes described in order to: •Diagnose problems and/or prevent fraudulent activities •Understand how our users use our products and services so we can improve user experience •In order to contact a client with pertinent information regarding their design and build •in order to show potential clients examples of work and projects completed •Legal Obligations. We may process your information where we believe it is necessary for compliance with our legal obligations, such as to cooperate with a law enforcement body or regulatory agency, exercise or defend our legal rights, or disclose your information as evidence in litigation in which we are involved. •Vital Interests. We may process your information where we believe it is necessary to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of a third party, such as situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person. 4. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following categories of third parties. Vendors, Consultants, and Other Third-Party Service Providers. We may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents ('third parties') who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. We have contracts in place with our third parties, which are designed to help safeguard your personal information. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will also not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us. They also commit to protect the data they hold on our behalf and to retain it for the period we instruct. The categories of third parties we may share personal information with are as follows: •Cloud Computing Services •Data Storage Service Providers •Landscaping contractors and Sub-contractors •Material Suppliers e.g. plant nurseries, aggregate suppliers •Professional Advisors e.g. accountants, legal advisors •Wesbite Hosting Providers e.g. Wix •Analytics Providers e.g. Google Analytics We also may need to share your personal information in the following situations: •Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company. 5. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES? In Short: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information. You have control over these, and we obtain your consent for non-essential cookies. Like many websites, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons and pixels) to access or store information on your browser or device when you visit our Services. These technologies help our website function, allow us to analyze site performance, understand how you interact with our content, and potentially display relevant advertising. What are Cookies? Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to the website owners. How We Use Cookies We use cookies for the following purposes: •Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for our website to function properly and enable you to navigate the site and use its features, including the functionality of our contact forms. Without these, certain parts of the Services may not be available. We do not require your consent for these cookies, but we inform you of their use. •Analytics and Performance Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website, which pages are most popular, and if they encounter any errors. This information allows us to improve the performance and usability of our Services. We only place these cookies on your device with your prior consent. •Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (e.g., language preferences) and provide enhanced, more personalized features. They may also be used to provide services you have requested. We only place these cookies on your device with your prior consent. •Targeting and Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests. They are often placed by third-party advertising networks with our permission. We only place these cookies on your device with your prior consent. Specific Cookies Used on Our Site: Below is a list of the specific cookies identified on our website by our cookie consent solution. You can find detailed information about each cookie, its purpose, and duration by clicking the 'Customize Preferences' button on our cookie banner. 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When you first visit our website, our cookie consent banner will provide you with options to manage your preferences. You can: •Accept all non-essential cookies. •Reject all non-essential cookies. •Customize your preferences for different cookie categories. You can also typically manage cookies through your web browser settings. Most browsers allow you to: •View which cookies are stored on your device. •Delete cookies individually. •Block third-party cookies. •Block all cookies (though this may affect website functionality). Google Analytics We may share your information with Google Analytics to track and analyse the use of the Services. The Google Analytics Advertising Features that we may use include: Google Analytics Demographics and Interests Reporting. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across the Services, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. You can opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features through Ads Settings and Ad Settings for mobile apps. Other opt out means include http://optout.networkadvertising.org/ and http://www.networkadvertising.org/mobile-choice. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms page. 6. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION? In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice unless otherwise required by law. We will only keep your personal information for as long as it's necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as for tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). Specifically: Inquiry Data: Information submitted via our contact form for inquiries not leading to a contract will be retained for up to 2 years. Client Project and Contractual Data: Data related to client contracts, design plans, and financial records will be retained for 7 years from the completion of the project, to meet legal obligations and for historical project reference. When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize such information, or, if this isn't possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible. 7. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE? In Short: We aim to protect your personal information through a system of organisational and technical security measures. We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organisational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorised third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Services within a secure environment. 8. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS? In Short: We do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, solicit data from, or market to children under 18 years of age, nor do we knowingly sell such personal information. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Services. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at k.cook@katharinecookdesign.com. 9. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS? In Short: In some regions, such as the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom (UK), and Switzerland, you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time, depending on your country, province, or state of residence. In some regions (like the EEA, UK, and Switzerland), you have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure; (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information; (iv) if applicable, to data portability; and (v) not to be subject to automated decision-making. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. You can make such a request by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section 'HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?' below. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are located in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your Member State data protection authority or UK data protection authority. If you are located in Switzerland, you may contact the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner. Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section 'HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?' below. However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal nor, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove cookies and to reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services. For further information, please see our Cookie Notice: https://kc_designs.wixsite.com/gardendesigncons1/privacy-policy. If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at k.cook@katharinecookdesign.com. 10. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ('DNT') feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage, no uniform technology standard for recognising and implementing DNT signals has been finalised. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this Privacy Notice. 11. SHARING DATA WITH THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS To effectively deliver our garden design and build services, we may share your necessary personal information (such as your name, address, contact details, and relevant project specifics) with trusted third-party contractors, landscapers, and material suppliers (e.g., plant nurseries, hard landscaping suppliers). This sharing is strictly limited to what is required for the fulfillment of our contract with you, including site visits, material deliveries, and project coordination. We ensure that these third parties are also committed to protecting your data. 12. PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDIES We are passionate about showcasing our work. With your express consent (obtained via our client contract), we may use photographs and details of your completed garden design projects for our portfolio, website case studies, and marketing materials. We always respect your privacy and can discuss specific anonymization preferences. 13. DATA COLLECTED DURING SITE VISITS AND CONSULTATIONS During our initial consultations and site visits, we collect information pertaining to your property, including measurements, photographs of existing conditions, and notes on soil, aspect, and existing features. This data is collected solely for the purpose of understanding the site and developing an accurate and tailored design proposal for you. 14. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE? In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws. We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated 'Revised' date at the top of this Privacy Notice. If we make material changes to this Privacy Notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information. 15. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE? If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at k.cook@katharinecookdesign.com or contact us by post at: KEC Design and Consultancy Ltd Parkgates, Bury New Road, Manchester, Prestwich M25 0JW United Kingdom 16. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU? Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, details about how we have processed it, correct inaccuracies, or delete your personal information. You may also have the right to withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal information. These rights may be limited in some circumstances by applicable law. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please fill out and submit a data subject access request.