Privacy Policy

  1. Introduction

Ascot Design Consultancy is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal data, as well as your rights regarding your data.

We adhere to all relevant data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. By engaging with us, whether as a client, contractor, or visitor to our website, you are agreeing to the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy.

  1. Information We Collect

Ascot Design Consultancy collects the following types of personal information:

  • Contact Information: This includes your name, email address, phone number, and postal address, which we collect when you engage with us for architectural services, consultations, or other business-related purposes.
  • Project Information: When working on design and architecture projects, we may collect additional information relevant to the project, such as building plans, site surveys, and client preferences.
  • Financial Information: We collect payment information such as billing addresses and payment details (via third-party payment processors) if you are invoiced for services.
  • Website Usage Information: We collect information about how you interact with our website, including IP addresses, browser types, and website navigation patterns. This is typically gathered through cookies or similar technologies.
  • Employee and Contractor Data: If you are an employee or contractor, we may collect additional personal data for HR and contractual purposes, such as employment records and performance data.

  1. How We Use Your Information

Ascot Design Consultancy uses your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To Provide Services: We use your contact details and project information to provide architectural consultancy and design services, including communication related to your projects, quotes, progress updates, and delivery of work.
  • To Process Payments: Financial information is used for invoicing and processing payments for services provided.
  • To Improve Our Services: We may use website usage data to analyze trends, improve the user experience, and optimize the functionality of our website and services.
  • To Comply with Legal Obligations: We may need to use and retain your personal information to comply with legal, regulatory, or contractual obligations, including for record-keeping and tax purposes.

  1. Data Sharing

Ascot Design Consultancy does not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We may, however, share your personal information in the following situations:

  • Service Providers: We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in providing services to you (e.g., payment processors, cloud storage providers, and project management tools). These service providers are required to protect your data and use it only as necessary to perform services on our behalf.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your personal data if required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena, legal order, or government request.
  • Business Transfers: In the event that Ascot Design Consultancy is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred to the new entity. You will be notified of any such transfer and changes to the privacy policy.

 

  1. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, or as required by law or regulation. For example:

  • Project Data: We may retain project-related data for the duration of the project and for a reasonable period thereafter, depending on the nature of the project and any contractual agreements.
  • Financial Data: Financial information is retained in accordance with tax and legal requirements, typically for a minimum of seven years.
  • Website Usage Data: We retain anonymized or aggregated website usage data for analysis and business improvement purposes, but personal identifiers are deleted within a reasonable period.

 

  1. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: If you believe that any of the personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that it be corrected.
  • Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances, such as when it is no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we limit the processing of your personal data under specific conditions.
  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations, particularly where we rely on legitimate interests or public interest for processing.
  • Right to Data Portability: In certain circumstances, you may request that we transfer your personal data to another organization or provide it to you in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in the “Contact Us” section below.

  1. Security of Your Data

Ascot Design Consultancy takes the security of your personal data seriously. We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Encryption: Sensitive data, such as financial information, is transmitted securely via encryption methods.
  • Access Control: We limit access to personal data to authorized personnel only, based on their job responsibilities.
  • Regular Security Audits: We perform regular security reviews to ensure that our data protection practices remain robust and up to date.

  1. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience and analyze website usage. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit our website. We use cookies for the following purposes:

  • Essential Cookies: These are necessary for the functioning of our website and services (e.g., to enable you to log in and use features).
  • Analytics Cookies: These help us understand how users interact with our website, so we can improve its performance and content.

You can control or disable cookies in your browser settings, but please note that this may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Ascot Design Consultancy may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Effective Date.” We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your data.

 

  1. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us.