Cookie Policy

Last updated: 29 July 2026

1. About this Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how Knutsford Solar Action uses cookies and similar technologies on:
https://www.knutsfordsolar.co.uk
It should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
Knutsford Solar Action is a voluntary, not-for-profit and unincorporated community group.
In this policy, “Knutsford Solar Action”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the community group operating the website.
For questions about our use of cookies, contact:
Email: knutsfordsolar@gmail.com

2. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website may place on your computer, telephone, tablet or other device.
Cookies can perform different functions, including:

• enabling a website to operate;
• protecting a website from misuse;
• remembering choices;
• storing cookie-consent preferences;
• helping website owners understand how visitors use a website; and
• enabling content supplied by third parties to function.

Some cookies remain on your device only while your browser is open. These are commonly called session cookies.
Other cookies remain until they expire or you delete them. These are commonly called persistent cookies.

3. Similar technologies

UK rules apply not only to conventional cookies, but also to other technologies that store information on or access information from a visitor’s device.
These technologies may include:

• local storage;
• session storage;
• tracking pixels;
• scripts and tags;
• embedded-content technologies; and
• other device-storage or access technologies.

In this policy, we refer to cookies and similar technologies collectively as “cookies”.
We do not use technologies such as browser fingerprinting, advertising conversion APIs or tracking pixels unless they are specifically identified in this policy and activated in accordance with applicable law.

4. The categories of cookies we may use

4.1 Strictly necessary cookies

Strictly necessary cookies are required for the website or a service requested by the visitor to function properly.
They may be used to:

• operate the website;
• provide security;
• prevent malicious activity or spam;
• distribute website traffic;
• remember cookie-consent choices;
• maintain forms while they are being completed; or
• provide functionality specifically requested by the visitor.

Consent is not normally required for a cookie where its use falls within an applicable legal exception.
Strictly necessary cookies cannot normally be disabled through our cookie-preference tool, although you may be able to block them through your browser. Blocking them may prevent parts of the website from working properly.

4.2 Functional cookies

Functional cookies remember optional choices or provide additional website features.
They may be used to remember:

• accessibility settings;
• display preferences;
• language choices;
• previously entered information; or
• other optional website preferences.

Where a functional cookie is not covered by a legal exception, it will not be used without the required consent.

4.3 Analytics cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the website.
They may provide information such as:

• the number of website visits;
• pages viewed;
• approximate session duration;
• general referral sources;
• broad device and browser information;
• website errors; and
• general patterns of website use.

Where consent is legally required, analytics cookies will not be activated unless you choose to accept them.
Current analytics provider:

• We use Google Analytics

If analytics are used, the detailed cookie table below should identify the relevant cookies, their purposes and how long they last.

4.4 Marketing and advertising cookies

Knutsford Solar Action does not currently intend to use the website for behavioural advertising or commercial remarketing.
Unless this policy and our cookie-preference tool state otherwise, we do not use:

• Google Ads remarketing;
• Meta Pixel;
• LinkedIn Insight Tag;
• Microsoft Advertising;
• personalised advertising cookies;
• advertising audience-building tools; or
• cross-site behavioural tracking.

If this changes, we will update this policy and obtain consent before activating such technologies where required.

5. Cookies and services used on the website

The precise cookies used will depend on the website’s actual configuration.
The website currently uses or may use the following services.

WordPress

The website is built using WordPress.
WordPress or its installed plugins may use cookies for:

• website administration;
• security;
• login functionality for authorised administrators;
• technical operation; and
• remembering settings.

Ordinary website visitors should not be presented with administrator login cookies unless they attempt to access a login area.

Fluent Forms

We may use Fluent Forms to provide:

• contact forms;
• surveys;
• questionnaires;
• expressions of support; and
• other submission forms.

Fluent Forms may use browser storage or cookies where necessary to:

• operate a form;
• preserve a form session;
• prevent duplicate or fraudulent submissions;
• support security; or
• remember form progress.

The precise behaviour will depend on the form settings and any connected services.

Cookie-preference service

We use:
[INSERT COOKIE-CONSENT PROVIDER]
This service may place a necessary cookie or use local storage to remember:

• whether you have accepted or rejected non-essential cookies;
• your selected cookie categories; and
• when your preference was recorded.

This prevents the website from asking you to make the same choice on every page visit.

Website hosting and security

Our website is hosted by:
[INSERT HOSTING PROVIDER]
We may also use:
[INSERT CLOUDFLARE OR OTHER SECURITY PROVIDER, OR DELETE THIS LINE]
Hosting and security providers may process technical information and use necessary cookies or similar technologies to:

• deliver the website;
• manage traffic;
• protect against malicious activity;
• prevent automated abuse;
• detect security incidents; and
• maintain website availability.

Spam prevention

Our forms may use:
[INSERT SPAM-PROTECTION PROVIDER, OR STATE “We do not currently use a third-party spam-prevention service”]
Some spam-prevention services, including certain versions of Google reCAPTCHA, may collect information about a visitor’s device and interactions.
Where such a service uses non-exempt cookies or similar technologies, it must not be activated before the required consent has been obtained.
A privacy-friendly form-protection method should be preferred where reasonably available.

Embedded maps, videos and social-media content

The website may include content embedded from third-party services, such as:

• YouTube;
• Vimeo;
• Google Maps;
• social-media platforms; or
• online petition or mapping services.

Embedded content may allow the third party to place cookies or collect information about your visit.
Where consent is required, the embedded content should remain blocked until you choose to activate the relevant cookie category.
A placeholder may be shown instead, allowing you to choose whether to load the content.

Social-sharing links

An ordinary link to a social-media website does not necessarily place a social-media cookie.
However, interactive social-media plugins or embedded feeds may allow the relevant platform to collect information about visitors.
Where those technologies are used and require consent, they will remain disabled until consent has been provided.

6. Cookies currently used

The table below must reflect the cookies found by a current technical scan of the live website.

Cookie or technology	Provider	Purpose	Category	Duration
[INSERT COOKIE NAME]	[PROVIDER]	[PURPOSE]	Strictly necessary / Functional / Analytics / Marketing	[DURATION]
[INSERT COOKIE NAME]	[PROVIDER]	[PURPOSE]	Strictly necessary / Functional / Analytics / Marketing	[DURATION]
[INSERT COOKIE NAME]	[PROVIDER]	[PURPOSE]	Strictly necessary / Functional / Analytics / Marketing	[DURATION]

This table should not be published with blank entries.
It should either:

• be completed manually following a cookie scan; or
• be replaced by an accurate, automatically generated cookie declaration supplied by the website’s cookie-consent platform.

The declaration should identify, as far as reasonably possible:

• the cookie or technology name;
• its provider;
• what it does;
• whether it is set by our website or a third party;
• its category; and
• how long it remains active.

7. When we ask for consent

Where consent is required, non-essential cookies will not be used until you have made an affirmative choice.
Our cookie banner should provide clear options to:

• accept non-essential cookies;
• reject non-essential cookies; and
• customise cookie preferences.

Rejecting non-essential cookies should be as straightforward as accepting them.
We do not treat any of the following as consent:

• merely continuing to browse;
• silence or inactivity;
• a pre-ticked box; or
• a banner that provides only an “Accept” option.

Where categories are offered, your choice should be recorded separately for each relevant purpose.

8. Changing or withdrawing your consent

You can change or withdraw your cookie consent at any time.
You can do this by using the:
Cookie Settings
link or button available on the website.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any use that occurred before consent was withdrawn.
After withdrawal, the website should stop using the relevant non-essential technologies. Existing cookies may remain on your device until they expire or are deleted, although they should no longer be actively used where consent has been withdrawn.

9. Browser controls

Most browsers allow you to:

• view cookies;
• delete cookies;
• block all or selected cookies;
• block third-party cookies; and
• receive notifications before cookies are stored.

The method varies by browser and device.
Blocking all cookies may affect the operation of:

• website forms;
• security functions;
• saved privacy choices;
• embedded content; or
• other website features.

Browser controls operate separately from the cookie-preference tool on our website.

10. How long cookie choices last

There is no single duration that is appropriate for every cookie.
The duration of each cookie should be shown in the cookie table or declaration.
We may periodically ask you to confirm your cookie preferences again, particularly where:

• a reasonable period has passed;
• the website’s use of cookies changes;
• a new provider or purpose is introduced;
• the legal basis changes; or
• we cannot reliably determine your previous choice.

A cookie used to remember your consent choice may remain for the period specified in the website’s cookie declaration.

11. Personal information collected through cookies

Some cookie information may constitute personal data or may become identifiable when combined with other information.
Where cookie information is personal data, our use of it is also governed by our Privacy Policy and the UK GDPR.
Depending on the service involved, information may include:

• an IP address;
• a device or browser identifier;
• website activity;
• approximate location derived from an IP address;
• referral information;
• form-security information; and
• cookie-preference records.

We do not sell personal information collected through cookies.

12. Third-party responsibility

Some cookies and technologies may be supplied by third parties.
Those third parties may act:

• as processors acting on our instructions;
• as separate controllers determining their own purposes; or
• in different roles depending on the particular service.

Third-party services are also governed by their own privacy and cookie information.
We will take reasonable steps to understand the services installed on our website and configure them appropriately, but we do not control cookies placed after you leave our website and visit a third-party site.

13. International processing

Some technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, the relevant transfer must be covered by a lawful mechanism where required.
This may include:

• UK adequacy regulations;
• the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• the UK Addendum to the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses; or
• another mechanism permitted by UK data-protection law.

More information may be available in our Privacy Policy and in the privacy information of the relevant provider.

14. Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy where:

• the website changes;
• cookies are added or removed;
• a service provider changes;
• our purposes change;
• the law or regulatory guidance changes; or
• we identify that further explanation is required.

The current version will be published on the website and will show the date it was last updated.
A significant change to non-essential cookies may require us to ask for consent again.

15. Contact us

Questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy should be sent to:
Knutsford Solar Action
Website: https://www.knutsfordsolar.co.uk
Email: knutsfordsolar@gmail.com
Postal address: [INSERT CONTACT ADDRESS, OR REMOVE THIS LINE]