Privacy Policy - Landscaping Hornsey

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Hornsey collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when providing landscaping, garden maintenance, design, installation, and related services. It applies to all Landscaping Hornsey customers in the area, including prospective customers, current customers, and anyone who interacts with us in connection with our services. We are committed to handling personal information in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

For the purposes of data protection law, Landscaping Hornsey acts as the data controller for personal information we collect and process in the course of delivering our services. This means we determine why and how your personal data is used. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to only process data that is necessary for legitimate business purposes, customer service, legal compliance, and the delivery of our services.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We may collect personal data directly from you, from your interactions with us, or from third parties where appropriate and lawful. The types of information we may collect include:

Identity information such as your name and title.
Contact details such as your address, phone number, and email address.
Service information such as the type of landscaping work requested, property details, project preferences, and service history.
Financial information such as billing details, payment records, and invoice information.
Communication records including messages, notes from consultations, and feedback.
Technical information if you interact with us online, such as device data, browser type, and usage information where applicable.
Photographs and site images related to your garden, property, or completed work, where necessary for planning, quoting, or quality assurance.

We generally do not seek to collect special category data. If such data is ever provided to us accidentally, we will handle it with extra care and only where we have a lawful reason to do so.

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in several ways, including when you:

request a quotation or consultation;
book or receive landscaping services;
correspond with us by phone, email, text, or other communication methods;
submit feedback, complaints, or service enquiries;
enter into a contract with us;
interact with our digital systems or online forms, where used;
provide information to our employees, contractors, or authorised representatives.

We may also receive data from third parties such as payment providers, subcontractors, suppliers, or professional advisers when this is necessary for service delivery, administration, or compliance.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the circumstances, our lawful bases may include:

Contract

We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotes, scheduling work, managing orders, carrying out landscaping services, issuing invoices, and handling customer service matters related to the contract.

Legal Obligation

We may process data to comply with legal requirements, such as accounting rules, tax obligations, record-keeping duties, health and safety obligations, or responding to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided that your rights and freedoms do not override those interests. Examples include improving our services, managing business operations, preventing fraud, maintaining service records, and responding to customer enquiries efficiently.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is required by law or where we want to use data for a purpose that is not covered by another lawful basis. If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

provide landscaping, maintenance, design, and related services;
prepare quotations and estimates;
manage bookings and service delivery;
communicate about appointments, project updates, and scheduling;
process payments and send invoices;
keep accurate business and service records;
respond to questions, requests, complaints, or claims;
meet regulatory, tax, and legal obligations;
improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of our work;
protect our business, staff, customers, and property interests.

We will only use your data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for a compatible reason and the law allows us to do so.

6. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties, known as processors, who act on our behalf and only under our instructions. These third parties may include:

Payment processors that handle card or electronic payments;
Accounting and bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
IT and cloud storage providers that support secure data storage and business systems;
Communication service providers that help us send messages or manage customer communications;
Subcontractors and suppliers involved in delivering specific landscaping tasks, where necessary;
Professional advisers such as lawyers, insurers, or auditors;
Public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

All processors are expected to protect your data and process it only for the agreed purpose. We do not sell personal data. Where data is shared, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

7. International Transfers

In some cases, service providers may store or process data outside the United Kingdom. If this occurs, we will make sure that appropriate legal safeguards are used to protect your personal data, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms recognised under data protection law.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, reporting, and insurance requirements. The retention period depends on the type of data and the reason for processing.

In general, we may retain:

Customer and contract records for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period afterward;
Financial and tax records for the period required by law;
Communication records for as long as needed to manage enquiries, disputes, or ongoing service issues;
Project and site records for as long as needed for warranties, follow-up services, or reference purposes.

When data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or otherwise dispose of it. In some cases, we may retain information for a longer period if required to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

9. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness procedures, and limiting data access to those who need it for their role. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we work to reduce risks and to respond promptly if any issue arises.

10. Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

The right to be informed about how your data is used.
The right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification if your data is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to erasure in certain circumstances, sometimes known as the “right to be forgotten.”
The right to restrict processing in certain situations.
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making where applicable.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with the law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. Some rights may not apply in all circumstances, but we will explain the position clearly if this happens.

11. Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, we encourage you to raise them with us so that we can address the matter promptly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection authority if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal obligations, or services. Any updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

13. Summary of Key Principles

Landscaping Hornsey is committed to processing personal data fairly, securely, and transparently. We collect only the information needed to provide our services, rely on lawful bases for every processing activity, retain records for appropriate periods, use trusted processors under written arrangements, and respect your data protection rights. This policy applies to all customers in the area who use or enquire about our landscaping services.