My Town My Future website Privacy Policy

This website is owned by Middlesbrough Council and is a project with Middlesbrough Council’s Libraries service. Any information which you send to us through this website, either by commenting on or uploading a photograph, or sending us a message via the contact form, is managed as follows:

1. We will keep information no longer than we reasonably believe is necessary

We keep your data only for as long as is required.

As is clearly stated when uploading a photograph, by uploading the photograph you are confirming that you are the copyright holder and you are giving permission for the photo to be displayed on this website indefinitely. We will credit photos if requested by you, the photograph owner.

Approved comments will also remain on this website indefinitely unless requested by the person leaving the comment to remove it.

When completing the contact form, your data is not stored within the website but is automatically sent to relevant members of the My Town My Future project group.

2. We will use information only for the purpose for which you sent it

If your information is collected when you submit a photograph via the website, we will use your information to contact you only if we are asking for permission to display your photograph as part of our history and heritage-related activities and promotion. This is clearly stated on the page where you upload your photo.

If your information is collected when you submit a query via the website, we will use your information only to respond to your query.

If your information is collected when you post a comment via the website, it will be used to automatically inform you when someone has replied to your comment and/or when new posts are added to the site. This will only happen if you checked the relevant boxes at the time when you posted your comment.

Information will not be passed to other departments (unless clearly explained) or shared with any other external party.

3. We may use information for statistical analysis but in such a way that your identity will not be involved

To improve the user experience of this website we track your activity on this website. The statistical data generated in this way is completely anonymised.

4. Use of cookies

A number of cookies are used on the My Town My Future website. The purpose of these cookies to enable the website to function correctly and improve your experience.

One of the cookies in place is essential to ensure the website functions correctly. The other three cookies are non essential and you must therefore accept for them to be placed on your computer of device. You can change your preference at anytime by clicking the cog icon at the bottom of every page. The different cookies used on this site are explained below:

5. Getting consent to use your data

You are required to give consent for us to use your data to process your online request.

We will ask you for consent when you contact us or send us a photograph and also any time you enter personal information. By opting out of giving your consent you will still be able to browse this website, however will not be able to contact us online or send photographs.

If any services require further consent from you, this will be explicitly asked for, and explained, as part of that online process.

6. We will only collect information that is required

We have simplified this website to ensure that all of the information that you give to us is required. We do not ask for information which is not necessary, which ensures that this website is quick and easy to use, and means we do not hold unnecessary information about you.

7. Storage of data given

Any information that you input through this site is securely held. Data can only be accessed by certain members of staff using the council’s secure network requiring access to process your request. 

8. How we will contact you

We will only contact you via email when you make a query via the website, or submit a photograph. Emails will be securely sent from Middlesbrough Council servers to the email address that you specify.
If you have requested to be notified of replies to your comment(s) or new posts, you will be contacted via email by WordPress.

9. Subject access request

At Middlesbrough Council we are open and honest about how we store your personal data and what we use it for. At any time you can complete a subject access request which will inform you what information we hold about you and how that information is being used. To make a subject access request please go to the data protection page of the Middlesbrough Council website. Please specify that your request relates to information held about you with My Town My Future project.

10. Right to be forgotten

As mentioned above we will only keep data relating to you for as long as is required. At any point you have the right to request to be forgotten, this means that if requested we will, where possible, delete our records of contact with yourself. To request the right to be forgotten please contact the Information Governance Team at Middlesbrough Council, contact details are available on the data protection page of the Middlesbrough Council website.

For further information on the General Data Protection Regulation and the Council’s responsibilities under it please consult the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).