Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 January 2026

Planning.scot is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and protect your personal information when you use our website or contact us in relation to our services.

  1. Who We Are

Planning.scot is a trading name of David Baldwin, a sole trader based in Scotland providing independent chartered town planning consultancy services.

For the purposes of data protection law, David Baldwin trading as Planning.scot is the data controller of any personal information you provide through this website or in connection with our services.

Contact email: info@planning.scot

  1. Information We May Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Postal address
  • Information relating to your enquiry, project or planning matter
  • Information submitted through contact forms, emails or telephone conversations
  • Technical website information such as IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data
  • Cookie and analytics data collected through our website

We will only collect personal information that is relevant to responding to enquiries, providing our services or operating our website.

  1. How We Use Your Information

We may use your personal information to:

  • Respond to enquiries and provide planning advice
  • Discuss projects and provide quotations or fee information
  • Deliver planning consultancy services
  • Prepare reports, submissions, planning statements and related documents
  • Maintain business records and correspondence
  • Improve the performance and usability of our website
  • Protect our website against spam, abuse or malicious activity
  • Comply with legal or regulatory obligations

We will only use your information where we have a lawful basis for doing so.

  1. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK data protection law, we may process your personal information on one or more of the following lawful bases:

  • To respond to your enquiry or take steps prior to entering into a contract
  • To fulfil a contract for professional services
  • To comply with legal obligations
  • For legitimate business interests, where these do not override your rights and freedoms
  • Where you have given consent, where consent is required, such as for certain cookies
  1. Contact Forms

If you submit an enquiry through our website contact form, we will collect the information you provide in order to respond to your enquiry and discuss your planning matter.

Information submitted through contact forms may be stored securely as part of our business correspondence and enquiry records.

We ask that you do not submit sensitive or confidential information through website forms unless specifically requested.

  1. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience, analyse website traffic and support website functionality.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device which help websites function properly and collect information about how visitors use a site.

Cookies used on this website may include:

  • Essential cookies required for website functionality
  • Analytics cookies to help us understand website traffic and performance
  • Security cookies used to protect forms and website functionality

You may be able to control cookies through your browser settings and through any cookie consent tools provided on the website.

  1. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use our website, including information such as:

  • Pages visited
  • Time spent on the site
  • Device and browser type
  • Approximate geographic location
  • Website traffic sources

Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect this information.

This information helps us improve our website and understand how it is being used.

Google may process this information in accordance with its own privacy policies.

  1. Google reCAPTCHA

Our website uses Google reCAPTCHA to help protect our contact forms and website from spam, automated abuse and malicious activity.

reCAPTCHA may collect hardware and software information, IP address, browser information and user behaviour data in order to determine whether a visitor is a human user.

This data is processed by Google in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

  1. Sharing Your Information

We will not sell your personal information.

We may share your information where necessary with:

  • Planning authorities and public bodies
  • Professional consultants or advisers engaged in connection with your project
  • Website hosting, analytics, form processing or IT service providers
  • Legal, regulatory or government bodies where required by law

We will only share information where this is necessary and appropriate.

  1. How We Store and Protect Your Information

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

Personal information is stored securely and access is limited to those who need it for legitimate business purposes.

  1. How Long We Keep Your Information

We will retain personal information only for as long as necessary to:

  • Respond to your enquiry
  • Provide professional services
  • Maintain business and accounting records
  • Comply with legal, regulatory or professional obligations

Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information and services provided.

  1. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information
  • Request correction of inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your information in certain circumstances
  • Request restriction of processing
  • Object to certain types of processing
  • Request transfer of your data in certain circumstances
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details above.

  1. Third-Party Services

Our website may make use of third-party services, including Google services, website hosting providers and contact form technologies, which may process limited personal or technical information in connection with website functionality.

These third parties operate under their own privacy policies.

  1. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact us in the first instance.

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

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect legal, technical or business changes. Any updates will be posted on this page.