Privacy Policy

Last updated: [Date]

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Anchorline Form Studio ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal data when you interact with us, use our architectural services, visit our website, or otherwise engage with our studio in England.

We are committed to complying with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our services or accessing our website, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

Anchorline Form Studio [Address] [City], England [Email Address] [Telephone Number]

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us using the details above.

3. Personal Data We Collect

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

3.1 Identity and Contact Data

• Full name
• Postal address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Company name and role/position (if applicable)

3.2 Project-Related Data

• Information about your property or project site
• Drawings, plans, surveys, and photographs
• Planning history and related documentation
• Design preferences and functional requirements

3.3 Communication Data

• Emails, letters, and messages you send to us
• Notes of telephone conversations and meetings
• Enquiries via web forms or social media

3.4 Technical and Usage Data (Website)

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time and date of visit, and time spent on pages
• Referring website or source

3.5 Financial and Transaction Data

• Payment details processed via our payment providers (we do not store full card details)
• Invoices, quotes, and records of services purchased

3.6 Marketing and Preferences Data

• Your preferences for receiving marketing communications
• Records of consents given or withdrawn

4. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in the following ways:

• Directly from you when you contact us by email, phone, post, in person, or via our website forms
• During the provision of our architectural services (site visits, design meetings, project management)
• From third parties such as consultants, contractors, planning authorities, or your appointed representatives
• Automatically through cookies and similar technologies when you use our website

5. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data only when we have a lawful basis to do so under the UK GDPR. These bases include:

5.1 Performance of a Contract When processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as providing architectural design and related professional services.

5.2 Legal Obligations When we need to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including tax, accounting, insurance, or professional standards requirements.

5.3 Legitimate Interests When processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and interests do not override those interests. This may include: managing our business, improving services, preventing fraud, and maintaining security.

5.4 Consent When you have given us clear consent for a specific purpose, such as receiving marketing communications. You can withdraw consent at any time (see Section 11).

6. How We Use Your Personal Data

We may use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and provide information about our services
• To plan, design, coordinate, and deliver architectural projects
• To manage contracts, including appointments, sub-consultant agreements, and contractor liaison
• To prepare and submit applications to local planning authorities and other statutory bodies
• To manage payments, invoicing, and accounting records
• To communicate with you about project progress, changes, or issues
• To operate, maintain, and improve our website and services
• To send you updates about our studio, projects, or services where permitted
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• To protect our rights, property, and the safety of our staff, clients, and the public

7. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with:

• Professional advisors (e.g., engineers, surveyors, planning consultants, legal or financial advisors)
• Contractors and suppliers engaged in your project, where necessary and appropriate
• Local councils, planning authorities, and other statutory bodies
• Service providers who assist us with IT, website hosting, data storage, email services, or payment processing
• Our insurers and brokers for risk management and claims handling
• Regulators, law enforcement, or public authorities where required by law

We require all third parties who process your data on our behalf to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. They are only permitted to process your data in accordance with our instructions.

8. International Transfers

As a studio based in England, your data is generally processed within the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA). If we transfer your personal data outside of the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

• An adequacy regulation or adequacy decision from the UK Government or European Commission; or
• Standard contractual clauses or equivalent approved contractual protections.

You may contact us for more details about specific safeguards in place for international transfers.

9. Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• For as long as we provide services to you and manage our relationship
• For the period required to comply with legal, tax, accounting, or insurance obligations
• For the limitation periods during which claims may be brought or defended

When personal data is no longer required, we will delete or anonymise it in a secure manner.

10. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. These measures may include:

• Secure storage systems and access controls
• Use of passwords and encryption where appropriate
• Limiting access to personal data to staff and contractors on a need-to-know basis
• Staff awareness and confidentiality obligations

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. You share information with us at your own risk.

11. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights (subject to certain conditions and exceptions):

11.1 Right of Access You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, and to obtain information about how we process it.

11.2 Right to Rectification You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

11.3 Right to Erasure You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances (for example, where it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected and there is no legal basis for continued processing).

11.4 Right to Restrict Processing You have the right to request that we restrict our processing of your data in certain situations.

11.5 Right to Data Portability You have the right to receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

11.6 Right to Object You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to object at any time to processing for direct marketing.

11.7 Rights in Relation to Automated Decision-Making We do not typically make decisions about individuals based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the details in Section 2. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and understand usage patterns.

Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect some website functionality.

For more details about the cookies we use and your choices, please refer to our separate Cookie Policy (if available) or contact us.

13. Marketing Communications

We may send you information about our studio, architectural services, events, or updates that we believe may be of interest to you.

We will only send you marketing communications where permitted by law, such as where:

• You have specifically requested or consented to receive them; or
• You are an existing client and we are promoting similar services, in accordance with applicable rules.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in the communication or by contacting us directly.

14. Third-Party Websites

Our website or communications may contain links to third-party websites, services, or platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.

15. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 16 years of age. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so that we can delete it where appropriate.

16. Complaints

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal data, please contact us in the first instance using the details in Section 2, and we will do our best to address your concerns.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) www.ico.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0)303 123 1113

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or other factors. The revised version will be posted on our website with an updated "Last updated" date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your personal data.