Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 1st September 2026

DN Planning Services (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website dnplanningservices.co.uk (the “Site”). We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you visit our website or engage our planning services.

1. Important Information & Who We Are

Data Controller

For the purpose of UK data protection legislation, DN Planning Services is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

  • Full Legal / Trading Name: Debbie Newcombe t/a DN Planning Services

  • Email Address: debbie@dnplanningservices.co.uk

  • Telephone Number: 07971 159522

  • Postal Address: 130 East Dyke Cottages, Higher Clovelly, Bideford, EX39 5RS

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your legal rights, please contact us using the details provided above.

2. The Personal Data We Collect About You

Personal data means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. We may collect, use, store, and transfer different kinds of personal data, including:

  • Identity Data: Name, title, and company name (if applicable).

  • Contact Data: Email address, telephone number, and postal / property address.

  • Property & Project Data: Site details, drawings, planning history, land details, and architectural/planning requirements relevant to your project.

  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, operating system, and platform via cookies or analytics tools.

  • Usage Data: Information about how you use our website, products, and services.

  • Marketing and Communications Data: Your preferences in receiving updates or communication from us.

We do not collect any Special Category Data (e.g., health data, political opinions, trade union membership) or details about criminal convictions.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect data from and about you through:

  1. Direct Interactions: You give us your details by filling out contact forms on our website, emailing us, telephoning us, or requesting planning consultancy services.

  2. Automated Technologies or Interactions: As you interact with our website, we automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment and browsing actions via cookies and web analytics.

  3. Third Parties / Publicly Available Sources: We may obtain planning-related information from local authority planning portals or public registers.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data

Under UK GDPR, we only process your personal data when we have a valid legal basis to do so. These include:

  • Performance of a Contract: Where we need to fulfill or enter into a contract with you for planning consultancy services.

  • Legitimate Interests: Where necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests (e.g., responding to inquiries, managing business operations, improving our website).

  • Legal Obligation: Where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation (e.g., tax, accounting, or statutory records).

  • Consent: Where you have explicitly agreed to us processing your personal data (e.g., opting in to receive newsletters or placing non-essential cookies on your browser).

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To process and respond to inquiries submitted via our website or email.

  • To deliver planning services, prepare planning applications, and liaise with relevant bodies.

  • To manage customer relationships, invoicing, and contract management.

  • To administer and protect our website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, and system maintenance).

  • To comply with statutory requirements and resolve legal or regulatory disputes.

6. Disclosures of Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties for the purposes set out above, including:

  • Local Planning Authorities (LPAs): Planning applications and supporting document submissions require sharing site details and client contact information on public planning registers.

  • Professional Subcontractors & Consultants: External consultants, architects, surveyors, or specialists engaged to support your project.

  • IT and Hosting Providers: Service providers supplying IT infrastructure, website hosting, email servers, and administrative tools.

  • Professional Advisers: Lawyers, accountants, insurers, and auditors.

  • Regulatory Bodies & Law Enforcement: Where required by law or to enforce legal rights.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with UK law.

7. Data Transfers Outside the UK

Where third-party service providers (such as cloud hosting or software platforms) process data outside the United Kingdom, we ensure a similar degree of protection by ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) recognized by the UK government.

8. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorized way, altered, or disclosed. Access to your personal data is restricted to employees, contractors, and agents who have a business need to know.

9. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

  • Inquiry Data: Kept for up to 2 years after initial contact if no client relationship is formed.

  • Client & Project Files: Retained for 6 to 12 years following completion of the planning engagement to satisfy statutory limitation periods and accounting obligations.

10. Your Legal Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Request access (Subject Access Request) to your personal data.

  • Request correction of incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you.

  • Request erasure (“Right to be forgotten”) of your personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it.

  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.

  • Request restriction of processing your personal data under certain conditions.

  • Request data transfer of your personal data to you or a third party in a structured, machine-readable format.

  • Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent to process your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at debbie@dnplanningservices.co.uk.

11. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking tools to distinguish you from other users and improve your browsing experience.

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the technical operation of the website.

  • Analytics / Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., Google Analytics).

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. For more details, please review our separate Cookie Policy.

12. Right to Lodge a Complaint

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues:

We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns directly before you approach the ICO, so please contact us in the first instance.

Information here

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