Privacy Policy - Landscaping Walthamforest

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Walthamforest collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data relating to its customers. It applies to all Landscaping Walthamforest customers in the area, including individuals who enquire about services, request quotations, book appointments, receive landscaping work, or otherwise interact with us. 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. Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of information:

Identity details such as your name, title, and any business or property ownership details you provide.
Contact details such as your address, email address, telephone number, and preferred communication method.
Service information including property access notes, garden specifications, requested landscaping works, appointment details, and job history.
Billing and payment information such as invoicing details, payment status, and transaction records.
Communication records including emails, messages, call notes, and complaints or feedback.
Technical information where relevant, such as basic website usage data or device information collected through standard analytics tools.
Photographs or site images where required to assess, document, or complete landscaping work.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless you choose to provide it and it is necessary for a specific legal or operational reason. If such information is ever processed, it will be handled with additional safeguards and only where permitted by law.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to provide landscaping services and operate our business efficiently. Typical purposes include:

Responding to enquiries and providing quotations.
Scheduling visits, carrying out work, and managing customer accounts.
Preparing invoices, processing payments, and maintaining financial records.
Keeping records of services provided, project requirements, and follow-up work.
Managing customer communication, including updates, service changes, and complaints.
Improving our services, training staff, and maintaining quality standards.
Meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and insurance obligations.
Protecting our business, staff, and customers from fraud, misuse, or security risks.

We will never use your personal data for purposes that are incompatible with the reasons it was collected unless we have a lawful basis to do so and, where required, your consent.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Landscaping Walthamforest relies on one or more of the following lawful bases:

Contract

We process data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotes, arranging landscaping work, fulfilling service requests, issuing invoices, and managing payments.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights do not override those interests. This may include maintaining records, improving service delivery, responding to customer queries, preventing fraud, and protecting our operations.

Legal Obligation

We process some personal data where we must comply with legal obligations, such as accounting, tax, health and safety, or insurance requirements.

Consent

Where we rely on your consent, we will ask for it clearly and separately. You may withdraw consent at any time, but this will not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully before withdrawal.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason we hold it.

Customer records are generally retained for the duration of the working relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle follow-up requests, warranties, or disputes.
Financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law.
Communication records may be kept for as long as needed to maintain service history and resolve queries.
Photographs and site images are retained only as long as necessary for project documentation, quality control, or evidence of completed work.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised, or destroyed. We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access or accidental loss during storage and disposal.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our business. These parties act as data processors or independent controllers, depending on the service they provide. Where they act as processors, they may only use your data on our instructions and must protect it appropriately.

Examples of processors and recipients may include:

Accounting and invoicing providers that help manage payments and financial records.
IT and cloud storage providers that host email, files, and business systems.
Payment service providers that process card or electronic payments.
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, legal advisers, or tax advisers.
Subcontractors or specialist trades where necessary to complete a project or service.

We require processors to implement appropriate security measures and to process personal data only for the specific services they provide. We do not sell personal data.

In limited circumstances, we may disclose information if required by law, court order, regulatory request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Landscaping Walthamforest, our customers, or others.

6. International Transfers

If any of our processors store or access personal data outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent legal protections. These measures are intended to keep your data protected to a standard consistent with UK GDPR requirements.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate security measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations, and restricted sharing on a need-to-know basis.

While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take data protection seriously and regularly review our practices to reduce risks and maintain confidentiality.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights in relation to your personal data. These rights may apply depending on the circumstances and the legal basis for processing.

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

If you exercise one of these rights, we may need to verify your identity before responding. We will respond within the time limits set by law unless an extension is allowed. These rights are subject to legal exceptions and limitations.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are intended for adult customers and property-related service users. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is incidental and necessary in the context of a customer relationship or legal obligation. If we become aware that we have collected child-related data inappropriately, we will take steps to delete it where appropriate.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. Where updates are significant, we will take reasonable steps to ensure customers are aware of the changes. The latest version will always apply from the date it is made available.

11. Complaints and Further Information

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, we encourage you to raise the issue so it can be reviewed and addressed. You also have the right to contact the UK data protection regulator if you believe your data protection rights have been breached.

This Privacy Policy is intended to be clear, lawful, and proportionate. Landscaping Walthamforest values privacy and aims to handle all personal data responsibly, securely, and in line with applicable data protection laws.

Effective for all Landscaping Walthamforest customers in the area.