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Cookies policy

Cookies - a background

To improve the visitor experience when using our site, Spelthorne Borough Council sometimes places small data files on your device (computer, smart phone, tablet, etc). These are known as cookies.  A cookie is a simple text file that allows a web site to store information on your computer's hard disk and retrieve it the next time you visit the site. Cookies are not programmes and therefore cannot harm your computer. They improve the visitor experience by:

  • remembering settings so you don't have to keep re-entering them
  • remembering information you've provided (e.g. contact details)
  • measuring how our website is used so we can prioritise improvements

We do not use cookies for collecting user information and we will not collect any information about you except that required for system administration of our web server

How we use cookies at Spelthorne

This website uses cookies in several places - we've listed each of them below along with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.

Information we automatically collect

  • date and time of access
  • originating IP address - This does not allow us to identify you, or store personal information, but we do log your IP address so you are automatically recognised by our web server and we are able to send the required information quickly back to your computer
  • type of browser - This tells us the browser software visitors use to our access our website (e.g. Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome etc.) 
  • URL of the referring page - Information on how you access our website.  For example via a search on a search engine or by directly typing in our website address 
  • page requested - What pages you visited during your session

You can manage and/or delete these small files from your computer as you wish. To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.aboutcookies.org. 

Below we describe how and where we use cookies

SOCITM - storing your feedback preference

Most pages on our website will randomly show a pop up box that asks if you would like to complete the SOCITM Insight website take-up survey. When you select an option from this pop up we store a cookie to remember your choice so we do not show you the box again. A cookie is also stored once you've completed the survey so you are not prompted to complete the survey again. SOCITM Insight provides more details on the SOCITM privacy and cookie policy page|.

Feedback cookie

Name

Typical Content

Expires

Socitm_include_me[x]
Socitm_exclude_me{x]
Socitm_exclude_alt[x]

True or false

365 days

Google Analytics - measuring website usage

We use Google Analytics cookies to collect information about how visitors use this site and when issues are encountered (such as broken links). Google analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you were on the site, how you got here and what you click on. We do not store your personal information so this information cannot be used to identify who you are.  We do not allow Google to use or share our data.

We use Google Analytics to make sure our website is meeting our users' needs and to help prioritise improvements. Google provides more details on the Google privacy and cookie policy page. Google also provides a browser add-on which allows you to opt out of Google Analytics across all websites.

Google Analytics cookies

Name

Typical Content

Expires

_utma

randomly generated number

2 years

_utmb

randomly generated number

30 minutes

_utmc

randomly generated number

When you close your browser

_utmz

randomly generated number and information on how the site was reached (e.g. direct or via a link, organic search or paid search)

6 months

My Spelthorne - information about services in your area

This software relies upon a number of cookies to remember your location etc. If you block cookies My Spelthorne will no longer work. A list of cookies used is given below:

My Spelthorne cookies

Name

Typical Content

Expires

ASP.NET_SessionId

random string identifying browsing session to server

when you close your browser

astun

version number of Astun iShare web application

After two weeks

astun:baseMap

identifier for most recently selected base map in My Maps

After one month

astun:currentLocation

most recently set address and its coordinates

After one month

astun:mapSource

identifier for map overlay configuration in My Maps

After one month

astun:mapView

location and extents of the most recent view of the map in My Maps

After one month

astun:panelsAccordionstatus

number identifying last opened panel in My Nearest

After 30 days

astun:panelsCollapseStatus

IDs of collapsed panels in My Maps

After 30 days

astun:vL_yrs_ish_[profile_identifyer]

layers turned on in My Maps for a given profile (e.g. COUNCIL_mapsource)

After one month

atMyCouncil

identifier of most recent tab visited by user and changes to visibility of panels in My House and My Nearest

After one month

atMyLocation

most recently set address and its coordinates

After one month

Astun:layerPanelOpenGroups

Layer group expanded in pane; in My Maps

After one month

myAlerts

Encrypted user logon details

After 90 days

Online Payments

Our payments software uses 'session cookies' which hold information when the user moves between pages. They will be deleted by your browser when you leave the web-site, although some browsers now store these to allow session restore after a browser crash.  This option can be switched off if required.  However, it should be stressed that the cookies contain no personally identifiable or sensitive data.


Social Media - Facebook, Twitter

The Council also uses Twitter and Facebook to share information, in signing up to use either of these social network sites you will have agreed the level of personal information you agree to share, Spelthorne BC will not use any personal information unless it is specifically given for a purpose.

Please note that this statement only covers the Spelthorne Borough Council website at http://www.spelthorne.gov.uk. This statement does not cover links within this site to other websites.

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