Cookie policy
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website asks your browser to store. They let the site remember things between page loads (whether you have agreed to analytics, for instance) and let us measure how the site is being used in aggregate. Some cookies are essential for the site to work. Most are not, and you have a legal right to refuse them.
We also use similar technologies such as localStorage (a browser store similar to a cookie) to remember your consent choices for this site. Where this policy says “cookies” it covers these technologies too.
How we ask for your consent
The first time you arrive on this site you will see a cookie banner with three options:
- Accept all. Sets every cookie category below, including analytics.
- Reject all. Sets only the strictly necessary cookies. Nothing else fires.
- Customise. Choose category by category, then save.
You can change your choice at any time. The Manage cookies link in the footer of every page reopens the banner so you can update or withdraw consent. We do not treat declining non-essential cookies any differently from accepting them, and there are no dark-pattern nudges in the banner.
The categories we use
Strictly necessary (always on)
These are required for the site to function. They cannot be switched off because the site would not work without them. They do not track you across other websites.
| Cookie or store | Purpose | Type | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
cel-cookie-consent | Records your consent choices so the banner does not re-appear on every page. | localStorage | 12 months |
Analytics (optional)
We use these to understand how visitors use the site in aggregate, so we can fix what is broken and stop spending time on what is not working. Data is anonymised: we do not see your name, your address or any identifying detail. None of these run until you opt in.
| Cookie or service | Purpose | Provider | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Identifies a unique visitor in aggregate, measures pages and journeys. | Google Analytics 4 | 13 months |
_ga_GKRN2TXBBT | Property-specific GA4 cookie for this site. | Google Analytics 4 | 13 months |
Google Analytics 4 on this site is configured with IP anonymisation, ad-personalisation signals denied, and Consent Mode v2 enabled. Data is processed by Google in the EU and US under Standard Contractual Clauses. See Google’s privacy policy for their part of the picture.
Marketing (optional, not currently used)
We do not currently run advertising pixels (no Meta Pixel, no Microsoft UET, no LinkedIn Insight Tag). If that ever changes we will add the cookie to the table above and ask for your consent again before it loads. The category exists in the banner so you can opt out in advance if you prefer.
Third-party services that may set their own cookies
A few embeds load assets from elsewhere on the web. These services may set their own cookies according to their own privacy policies, regardless of your choice in our banner. They are only loaded when you actually interact with the embedded content.
- FreeIndex, when you visit the reviews page and the live review widget loads. See FreeIndex’s privacy policy.
- Cloudflare, the host and CDN serving this website, may set anti-abuse cookies on certain paths. See Cloudflare’s privacy policy.
How to change or withdraw consent
You can change or withdraw your cookie consent at any time:
- Click Manage cookies in the site footer. This reopens the banner with your current choices.
- Or clear cookies / localStorage for this domain in your browser. The next page load will show the banner again from scratch.
- Most browsers also let you block cookies generally in their privacy settings.
Withdrawing consent does not delete data already collected before you withdrew. To request deletion, see the privacy policy for how to exercise your rights under UK GDPR.
How long we keep cookie data
The expiry of each cookie is listed in the tables above. Aggregate analytics data inside
Google Analytics 4 is retained for 14 months before automatic deletion. Your stored
consent choice (the cel-cookie-consent entry) sits for 12 months, after which the banner
will reappear and you can choose again.
Contact
For any cookie or privacy question, email [email protected] or call 0800 211 8990 during office hours. The full privacy policy covers your wider rights under UK GDPR.