Privacy Policy - Gardeners Lea Bridge

Gardeners Lea Bridge is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all customers in the Lea Bridge area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information when you use our gardening services, make enquiries, or otherwise interact with us. It applies to all Gardeners Lea Bridge customers in the area, including residential and commercial clients.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to personal data processed in connection with our gardening, landscaping, maintenance, and related services. It covers information collected from current, former, and prospective customers, as well as individuals who communicate with us about appointments, estimates, invoices, service updates, or complaints. It does not apply to third-party websites or services that may be linked from our communications.

2. Data We Collect

We only collect information that is necessary, relevant, and limited to the purposes described in this policy. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identity data such as your name, title, and any preferred form of address.
Contact data such as postal address, email address, and telephone number.
Service data such as property access notes, garden preferences, requested works, appointment details, and service history.
Billing data such as invoice details, payment status, and records needed for accounting.
Communication data such as correspondence, feedback, complaints, and enquiries.
Technical data where relevant, such as basic device or usage information when you communicate with us electronically.

We do not seek to collect unnecessary personal information. We also do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is provided to us for a clear reason and we have an appropriate lawful basis to process it.

3. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or garden service;
book an appointment or respond to a service update;
send us an enquiry, complaint, or feedback;
enter into a contract with us;
provide information by phone, email, or written communication;
make a payment or receive an invoice;
allow us access to a property for service delivery.

We may also receive limited information from third parties where needed, for example from landlords, managing agents, or property representatives acting on your behalf. In such cases, we rely on those parties to have a proper basis for sharing the information.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR and GDPR principles, we process personal data only where we have a lawful basis. Depending on the context, our lawful bases include:

Contract

We process data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging garden maintenance, providing quotations, scheduling visits, managing invoicing, or delivering agreed services.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. This may include responding to enquiries, managing client relationships, improving service quality, preventing fraud, maintaining records, and ensuring safe access to properties.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data where we must do so to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, business record keeping, and lawful requests from authorities.

Consent

Where consent is required, we will ask for it clearly and separately. If you give consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to provide and manage gardening services;
to prepare quotes, contracts, and schedules;
to communicate about appointments, works, and changes;
to issue invoices and track payments;
to keep service records and support customer care;
to handle complaints and disputes;
to meet legal, tax, and regulatory obligations;
to maintain security, quality, and operational efficiency.

We only use data for purposes that are compatible with the reason it was collected. If we need to use it for a new purpose, we will ensure a lawful basis applies.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who assist us in delivering our services. These organisations act as processors or independent controllers depending on the circumstances. Processors may include:

IT and cloud service providers;
email and communication platform providers;
accounting, bookkeeping, and invoice management systems;
payment processing providers;
administrative support services;
professional advisers such as accountants or legal advisers where necessary.

We require processors to handle personal data securely, use it only on our instructions, and comply with applicable data protection laws. We do not sell personal data. We may also disclose information if required by law, to prevent harm, or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

7. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason for holding it. In general:

customer service and contract records are kept for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
financial and tax records are retained for the period required by law and accounting practice;
complaint and dispute records are kept for as long as needed to resolve issues and maintain evidence;
records collected with consent are retained until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed.

When data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer identify you.

8. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and restricted handling of sensitive records. While no system is completely secure, we take data protection seriously and review our safeguards regularly.

9. Your Rights

Depending on the legal basis and circumstances of processing, you may have the following rights under data protection law:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data in certain situations.
Right to restriction – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability – to receive certain information in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been infringed. We encourage you to raise concerns with us first so we can address them promptly and fairly.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are generally directed to adults and property holders or authorised representatives. We do not intentionally collect children’s personal data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so. If we become aware that we have collected such information without a valid basis, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that suitable safeguards are in place to protect it. These safeguards may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data protection practices. The most current version will apply to our handling of personal data. We recommend reviewing it periodically to stay informed.

13. Summary of Our Approach

Gardeners Lea Bridge handles personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We collect only what we need, use it for clear purposes, keep it for no longer than necessary, and share it only with trusted processors or where required by law. We respect the rights of every customer in the Lea Bridge area and aim to maintain privacy, trust, and responsible data handling at every stage of service delivery.