Privacy Policy - Landscaping Hernehill

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Hernehill collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Landscaping Hernehill customers in area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who interacts with our services, bookings, quotations, or communications. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Landscaping Hernehill provides landscaping-related services to residential and commercial clients in the area. In the context of data protection law, we act as the data controller for personal data that we collect and use for our own business purposes. This means we decide why and how personal data is processed and are responsible for ensuring it is handled properly.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy. The information we may collect includes:

Identity details such as your name, title, and business name if applicable.
Contact details such as address, phone number, and email address.
Service information such as property details, project requirements, preferences, and service history.
Billing and payment details such as invoice information and records of payments made or due.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and notes from phone calls, emails, or other messages.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic device or usage information if collected through digital tools used for administration or security.
Site and project records such as photographs or measurements taken to provide estimates, plan work, or document completed services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is strictly necessary and lawful to do so. Special category data includes information such as health data, religious beliefs, or biometric data. If such information is ever provided to us, we will only process it where a valid legal basis applies and additional safeguards are in place.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries and provide quotations.
To plan, deliver, and manage landscaping services.
To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records.
To communicate about appointments, updates, changes, and service matters.
To manage customer relationships and improve the quality of our services.
To comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory obligations.
To protect our business, staff, customers, and property from fraud, misuse, or security threats.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another compatible reason and the law allows us to do so.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under the UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, scheduling work, completing landscaping services, and managing related billing or administration.

Legal Obligation

We process data where required to comply with legal duties, such as record-keeping, tax, and accounting obligations.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is in our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing customer relationships, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining business records. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that processing is proportionate and relevant.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where you have clearly agreed to receive certain communications or where consent is needed for a specific use of data. You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis for processing.

5. Sharing Your Data and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who help us run our business. These third parties act as processors when they process data on our behalf and under our instructions. They are required to protect your information and to use it only for the agreed purpose.

Examples of processors may include:

Accounting and bookkeeping providers.
Payment service providers.
IT and cloud storage providers.
Customer management or scheduling systems.
Professional advisers such as legal or financial advisers where necessary.

We may also share data with other independent controllers where required, such as insurers, tax authorities, courts, regulators, or law enforcement agencies. We will only do this where it is lawful and appropriate.

We do not sell your personal data.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected.

Customer and service records are generally kept for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards.
Financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by law and tax regulations.
Correspondence and quotations may be kept for record-keeping, customer service, and dispute resolution purposes.
Photographs and project notes are retained only as long as needed for service delivery, evidence, or lawful business purposes.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete it, anonymise it, or otherwise dispose of it safely.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are designed to be proportionate to the type and amount of information we hold. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection that is reasonable and appropriate for our business.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may be subject to conditions or exceptions depending on the circumstances.

Right of access – you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – in some cases, you may ask us to delete your personal data.
Right to restrict processing – you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability – you may request certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been breached. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue directly and promptly.

9. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include approved contractual clauses or transfer mechanisms recognised by UK law.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a customer’s request or lawful business activity. Where children’s data is involved, we will handle it carefully and in line with applicable law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our services, or our data processing practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect personal data.

12. Summary of Our Commitment

Landscaping Hernehill is committed to handling personal data responsibly, securely, and lawfully. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on clear lawful bases for processing, use trusted processors where necessary, and retain data only for as long as required. We respect your rights and aim to ensure that all Landscaping Hernehill customers in area can trust us with their information.