Cookie and Privacy Policy

This is the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s privacy policy. It tells you who we are, how we collect information about you, whether and how we store that information, and what we use it for, with whom we intend to share your information, and whether it may be transferred outside the European Economic Area (‘EEA’). Please read the policy carefully. If you do not agree with it, then please do not use our website.

Who we are

We are Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). Our address is 3 St Peter’s Court, Bedminster Parade, Bristol BS3 4AQ. CSE helps people and organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors meet the challenge of rising energy costs and climate change. We primarily need personal information so that people are able to register for on the e-alert form page, however we also collect some personal information on the Expert Support Network (ESN) enquiry form. These are to fulfil our aims of:

• Updating people with the latest planning and renewables news
• Ensuring the website is kept up-to-date with the latest developments
• Raising awareness of the latest events taking place in this area

If you have any queries about the information we hold on you, please contact the CSE Office on 0117 934 1400 or visit our contact us page and send an email. Alternatively, you can contact the Data Protection Officer, who you may contact on 0117 934 1427. If you have a complaint or an issue to raise, please contact the CSE office.

How we collect information

In general, we will collect the information we need to provide you with the service to which the form relates. For example, if you subscribe to e-alerts, we will collect your name, email address, your organisation type and job title. Where we ask for more information to help us improve our services, over and above the basic required information, your response is voluntary and you are free not to provide us with more information if you would prefer not to do so.

We use cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer’s hard drive by websites you visit to enable the site to ’remember’ who you are. In general, cookies are only visible to the site that serves them, not to other websites. ‘Serves’ means places on your computer’s hard drive. We use the cookies on this website to ‘remember’ information so that it can be passed from page to page and to collect site statistics. We use two types of cookie on this site. None of them stores any information that identifies you personally, such as by a name or address.

Our website provider, Enigma Interactive Limited, uses ‘persistent cookies’ which allocate a unique ID number to track your sessions. Persistent cookies remain on your hard disk until you delete them. These cookies originate from the web server hosting our site, so are ‘first party cookies’.

We use the free Google Analytics tool (see www.google.com/analytics/en-GB/index.html) to collect and analyse site statistics. Google Analytics uses persistent cookies to track data. These cookies do not collect any personally identifiable information and are only used for the statistical collection of data such as visits and page hits. Google Analytics’ cookies store IP addresses but we cannot link those addresses to any individual or path through the website. Google uses the cookies to read information and evaluate visitors’ use of the website in the form of statistical reports that we can access. The Google Analytics’ code is incorporated into our site’s code so that our site serves the cookies, but Google has access to the cookies.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies and you should be able to accept, delete or reject them if you wish by adjusting the settings on your browser. This will, however, affect your use of the areas of our site that use cookies.

We do not use ’spyware’, that is web bugs or hidden identifiers or other similar devices to gain access to information, store hidden information or to trace your activities. For more information about cookies and instructions on how to adjust your browser settings to accept, delete or reject cookies, see the IAB website at www.allaboutcookies.org

Storage of information

Your information will be stored on Enigma Interactive’s web server and we will keep our own backup copy. We may also store your information in a digital format and on paper at our offices. We will keep your information secure by taking appropriate technical and organisational measures against its unauthorised or unlawful processing and against its accidental loss, destruction or damage.

You have a statutory right to see a copy of the information we hold about you on payment of a fee, which is currently £10. Requests must be made in writing to the CSE office at the address stated in ‘Who we are’ above. If you wish to be removed from our database, you unsubscribe by following the relevant links and instructions provided in our communications or you can contact our head office on 0117 934 1400.

What we use your information for

We will use your information to provide you with any further details or information you request when you contact us. All other data will be maintained by CSE in accordance with law, and used for the purposes of alerting those people who have signed up for e-alerts of the latest news, events and other information relevant to those interested in planning and renewables.

The information collected on the ESN page is stored and transmitted to other members of the ESN in the performance of fulfilling their requirements under this service. Members of the ESN are required to keep all Confidential Information strictly confidential; and not disclose Confidential Information to any other person, except with the express prior written consent.

With whom we may share your data

This website was developed as a part of a contract between CSE, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG); the information we hold is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and may be disclosed under the FOIA.

We will give third party suppliers who supply services to us (for example, as part of hardware or software maintenance) or who process information on our behalf (such as a hosting company) incidental access to your information. We will disclose your information to enforcement authorities if asked to do so, or to a third party in the context of actual or threatened legal proceedings. CSE strictly respects the privacy of its users.

Data protection legislation is harmonised throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises the EU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Countries outside the EEA do not generally have the same level of protection for personal information as those within the EEA.

Because of the way the Internet works, it is possible that the information you provide to us could be routed via countries outside the EEA. However this is not considered a ‘transfer’ under data protection legislation and unless you are from outside the EEA, we will not transfer any information we collect from you outside the EEA without your permission or as permitted by law.

Further information about data protection issues including the Register of Data Controllers can be found at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk