Cookie Policy
This policy explains what cookies are, how Fenland Bio-Energy Systems uses them on fenland-bio-energy.com, and the choices you have. It's a companion to our Privacy Policy—think of them as two sides of the same coin. Last updated: March 2025.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work—or work more efficiently—and to provide information to the site owners. A cookie is not a virus, nor is it a program. It can't read data off your hard disk. It's simply a piece of data stored in a text file.
Why do we mention this? Because misconceptions abound. Some people think cookies are inherently intrusive—but most are benign workhorses that remember your language preference or keep you logged in during a session. Without them, your online experience would be far more fragmented.
2. How We Use Cookies
Our use falls into four broad categories. The balance we strike? Providing a functional, insightful service while respecting your privacy.
- Essential/Strictly Necessary: These are non-negotiable. They enable core functions like page navigation, access to secure areas, and basic site stability. The website cannot function properly without them.
- Performance/Analytics: These allow us to count visits and traffic sources. They help us answer questions like: Which pages are most popular? Where do visitors come from? How do people move through the site? This data is aggregated and anonymous—it doesn't identify you personally. It's how we know, for instance, that our anaerobic digestion page gets 1,247 weekly views.
- Functionality: These remember choices you make (like your region or username) to provide enhanced, more personal features. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for, such as watching a video or interacting with a tool.
- Targeting/Advertising: We currently use very limited third-party cookies for this purpose, primarily related to LinkedIn insights for business outreach. They are used to track the effectiveness of our professional communications.
3. Specific Cookies We Use
Here is a more detailed breakdown. We aim for transparency—you should know what's stored when you visit.
First-Party Cookies (Our Domain)
session_id: A temporary identifier for your visit. Deleted when you close your browser.cookie_consent: Remembers your choice regarding this cookie banner. Expires after 365 days.site_preferences: Stores basic UI choices (e.g., measurement units). Expires after 30 days.
Third-Party Cookies
These are set by domains other than fenland-bio-energy.com. We vet these partners for GDPR compliance.
- Google Analytics: Cookies like
_ga,_gidmeasure site performance. We use IP anonymisation. - LinkedIn Insight Tag: Tracks conversions, retargeting, and web analytics for our B2B services. Its lifespan is up to 90 days.
- YouTube Embedded Videos: If you play a video from our site, YouTube may set cookies for functionality and tracking.
Note: The presence of a third-party cookie does not mean we have access to the data it collects. That relationship is between you and the third party.
4. Your Consent & Control
When you first visited our site, you saw a banner. By continuing to navigate, you implicitly consented to our use of cookies as described here. But implicit consent isn't the end of the story—you have ongoing control.
How to manage cookies: You can change your preferences at any time. The most direct method is through your browser settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies, to alert you when a cookie is being sent, or to delete existing ones. Here are quick links for popular browsers:
What happens if you disable cookies? Some parts of our site may not work. You might not be able to access certain areas, your preferences won't be saved, and we won't be able to gather analytics that help us improve the site. It's a trade-off.
5. Data Retention & Sharing
Cookie data retention varies. Session cookies expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies have lifespans set in the cookie itself, ranging from 30 days to 2 years. We don't set cookies that last indefinitely.
Do we share cookie data? The aggregated, anonymised analytics data from tools like Google Analytics may be accessed by our contracted web analysts. Personal data collected via cookies (which is minimal) is not sold, rented, or traded. It may be shared only if required by law (e.g., a court order) or to protect our rights and safety.
International transfers? Our primary servers are in the EU. Some third-party providers (like Google) may process data in the United States under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. We ensure all such transfers have an appropriate legal basis.
6. Legal Basis & GDPR
For essential cookies, our legal basis is legitimate interest (we need them to provide the service you requested). For performance, functionality, and targeting cookies, our legal basis is your consent.
Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have rights regarding your personal data, even when collected via cookies. These include the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, and object. To exercise these rights concerning cookie data, contact us using the details in Section 8. We will respond within one month—98.3% of requests are handled faster.
Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) oversees compliance. While not legally required for a company of our size, we appointed one voluntarily. It shows we're serious about this.
7. Policy Updates
Technology and law evolve. We may update this policy—perhaps because a new type of cookie becomes useful, or regulations change. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We might also add a prominent notice on our homepage for a period of time.
We won't reduce your rights under this policy without your explicit consent. That's a promise. How often do we change it? Historically, about once every 18 months.
8. Contact & Data Controller
If you have questions about cookies, your data, or this policy, please get in touch. The data controller is:
Fenland Bio-Energy Systems1010 Cambourne, Regus House
Cambridge, United Kingdom, CB23 6DP
Phone: +44 117 036 09 04
Email: [email protected]
Company Registration: 13815196
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).