Cheltenham Open Data Privacy Policy

How Cheltenham Open Data collects, uses, and protects your information. Cookie-free, GDPR-compliant analytics with transparent affiliate and classifieds disclosure.

Privacy Policy

Effective date: 22 September 2026

1. Introduction

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. In short: we don’t build profiles of you, we don’t use cookies, and we only look at anonymised, aggregate statistics.

Cheltenham Open Data is the data controller responsible for the information described in this policy. You can reach us using the contact details in section 7.

2. Information We Collect

We use Ahrefs Web Analytics to understand engagement and page visits. This data is anonymised, cookie-free, and GDPR compliant — it works without tracking cookies and does not identify you. We do not collect names, email addresses, or other personal information unless you choose to give it to us (for example, by contacting us, placing a classified advert or subscribing to our newsletter).

The site is delivered through Cloudflare, a content delivery network. To load pages quickly and protect the site from attacks, Cloudflare handles the connection between your device and the site, which includes your IP address. Cloudflare also gives us aggregate traffic figures, such as the number of unique visitors and requests each day. We don’t receive individual IP addresses or use these figures to identify anyone.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use aggregate visitor statistics — such as which pages are popular — to improve the site. We do not sell, share, or use your data to identify or track you as an individual. Some aggregate totals are published on our traffic page.

Newsletter

If you subscribe to our weekly newsletter, we collect your email address so we can send it to you. We use it only to send the newsletter and related service messages, such as the confirmation email, and we don’t sell it or share it with sponsors or anyone else. Sponsors may appear in the newsletter, but they never receive subscribers’ details. Our legal basis is your consent, which you give by subscribing and clicking the confirmation link we email you, and you can withdraw it at any time with the unsubscribe link in every email.

Our emails are sent using Buttondown, which stores subscriber addresses on our behalf, may process them outside the UK and may give us aggregate statistics such as how many people opened or clicked. See its privacy policy. We also record which form you signed up through, such as the footer, so we can see what works. We keep your address until you unsubscribe.

We use referral tags on some outbound links to understand where traffic comes from. These tags contain no personal data.

Some links on this site are affiliate links, which carry a small tag identifying cheltenham-od.uk as the source. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small referral commission at no extra cost to you. If you’d prefer not to take part, simply don’t use the link.

Classifieds

Adverts in our classifieds that link to an external site include a ?ref=cheltenham-od tag in the URL. This helps advertisers see that the inbound visitor came from us.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect any personal data you do share with us from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of any personal data we hold about you, and to object to its processing. Because we don’t collect personal data through normal browsing, this usually only applies if you’ve contacted us or placed an advert. To make a request, use the contact details below. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk) if you’re unhappy with how we handle your data.

7. Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Contact us at privacy@cheltenham-od.uk.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.