Privacy Policy - Landscaping Shoreditch

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Landscaping Shoreditch customers in the area and explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal data when we provide landscaping, maintenance, design, installation, and related services.

We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy applies to customers, prospective customers, site visitors, and other individuals whose data we process in connection with our services.

1. Who We Are

Landscaping Shoreditch is the controller of personal data processed for the purposes described in this policy. This means we decide why and how your personal information is used. We take data protection seriously and aim to ensure that all processing is necessary, proportionate, and secure.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data, such as your name and, where relevant, business name.
Contact data, such as email address, telephone number, service address, billing address, and other communication details.
Service and project data, including information about requested landscaping work, preferences, site conditions, quotations, plans, schedules, and service history.
Payment and transaction data, such as records of payments, invoices, and billing status.
Technical data, such as device information, IP address, browser type, and basic usage data if you communicate with us electronically.
Communication data, including correspondence, feedback, complaints, and notes from phone calls or messages.
Location data, where necessary to arrange visits, assess sites, or deliver services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless there is a clear and lawful reason to do so. If such data is ever needed, we will only process it where permitted by law and with appropriate safeguards.

3. How We Collect Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quote or consultation;
book or receive landscaping services;
make an enquiry or submit a complaint;
provide feedback or reviews;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other means;
make a payment or enter into a service agreement.

We may also receive information from third parties where needed, such as:

property owners, letting agents, contractors, or managers acting on your behalf;
publicly available sources;
professional advisers, insurers, or accounting service providers;
payment processors or similar service partners.

4. Why We Use Your Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide quotes, estimates, and service information;
to deliver landscaping and related services;
to manage bookings, schedules, and site access;
to process invoices and payments;
to communicate about projects, updates, and service matters;
to maintain records of work completed;
to handle complaints, requests, and enquiries;
to comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property;
to improve our services and customer experience.

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 purpose and the law allows us to do so.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, delivering landscaping services, managing appointments, and handling payments.

Legal Obligation

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

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include managing our operations, responding to enquiries, preventing fraud, improving services, and maintaining business records. We always consider whether the processing is necessary and whether it is fair.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, especially where the law requires it. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and why we hold it.

Customer and project records are retained for as long as needed to manage the service relationship and support after-service enquiries.
Financial records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting laws.
Correspondence and complaints are retained for a reasonable period to deal with follow-up issues and demonstrate compliance.
Consent-based records are kept until you withdraw consent or they are no longer needed.

When data is no longer required, we will delete it securely or anonymise it where appropriate.

7. Processors and Data Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third-party processors who help us operate our services. These processors only act on our instructions and are required to protect your data. They may include:

IT and cloud service providers that store or support our systems;
payment service providers that process transactions;
accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial records;
communication service providers that help us send and receive messages;
professional advisers, such as legal or insurance advisers, where necessary;
subcontractors or suppliers involved in service delivery.

We may also disclose data where required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights. We do not sell your personal data.

8. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as approved transfer mechanisms or equivalent protections required by law.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, confidentiality obligations, and limiting access to data on a need-to-know basis. While we work hard to safeguard information, no system is completely secure.

10. Your Rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

Right of access to obtain a copy of your personal data;
Right to rectification to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
Right to erasure to request deletion of data in certain cases;
Right to restriction to limit how we use your data in specific situations;
Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Right to data portability in certain circumstances;
Right to withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
Right to complain to the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.

We will respond to valid requests in accordance with applicable law. Some rights may not apply in all situations, and we may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

11. Children’s Data

Our services are generally intended for adults acting on their own behalf or on behalf of a property or organisation. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children for direct service purposes. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without proper authority, we will take appropriate steps to delete or protect it.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or how we handle personal data. The updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers in the Shoreditch area to review this policy periodically to stay informed.

13. Contact and Further Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your rights, or need further information about how your data is handled, you may make a request through our usual customer communication channels. We will deal with privacy matters in a fair, prompt, and respectful manner.

Summary of our approach: We collect only the personal data needed to provide landscaping services, rely on lawful bases such as contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and consent, retain data only as long as necessary, use trusted processors under contract, and respect your data protection rights.