Privacy Policy

Last updated: 29 July 2026

1. Who we are

Knutsford Solar Action is a voluntary, not-for-profit community group formed to raise awareness of, examine and respond to solar-energy developments and related planning proposals affecting Knutsford, Tabley and the surrounding area.

Knutsford Solar Action is an unincorporated community group. It is not a limited company, registered charity or political party.

For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data-protection law, Knutsford Solar Action, acting through its organising committee, is the controller of the personal information described in this Privacy Policy.

Our website is: https://www.knutsfordsolar.co.uk

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use personal information, contact:

Email: knutsfordsolar@gmail.com

In this Privacy Policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Knutsford Solar Action.

2. The personal information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

your name;
your email address;
your telephone number, where you choose to provide it;
your postcode, general location or connection to the local area;
information you provide in a survey, questionnaire or contact form;
your views, comments and concerns about a planning proposal or related localissue;
records of correspondence between you and Knutsford Solar Action;
your preferences about receiving updates from us;
information you provide when volunteering for or supporting the group;
photographs, videos, documents or other evidence that you voluntarily provide;
photographs or recordings taken at meetings or events, where applicable;
your internet protocol address;
information about your browser and device;
information about how you use our website;
cookie and analytics information, where applicable; and
technical and security logs created by our website, hosting provider or security services.

We aim to collect only the information that we reasonably need for the purposesexplained in this Privacy Policy.

Please do not provide unnecessary sensitive information through our website, surveys or forms.

Sensitive information can include information about a person’s health, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, ethnicity, sexual orientation or trade-union membership.

Where you provide information about another identifiable person, you should ensure that you are entitled to provide it and that doing so will not unfairly infringe that person’s privacy.

3. How we collect personal information

We may collect information directly from you when you:

visit our website;
complete a survey or questionnaire;
use a website contact form;
subscribe to email updates;
contact us by email, telephone or social media;
attend or register for a meeting or event;
volunteer or offer to support the group;
sign a petition or expression of support administered by us;
submit photographs, documents, comments or other evidence; or
otherwise communicate with a member of Knutsford Solar Action.

We may also obtain limited personal information from:

publicly available planning records;
public consultation responses;
local-authority and other public-body records;
publicly available websites or social-media posts;
elected representatives;
professional advisers;
other community organisations; and
people who contact us in connection with the group’s work.

Where we obtain information from another source, we will use it only where we have alawful reason to do so.

4. Why we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

respond to enquiries and correspondence;
administer surveys and understand local opinion;
analyse the potential effect of planning and development proposals;
communicate campaign, planning and community updates;
organise meetings, events and volunteer activity;
communicate with supporters, residents and other interested people;
manage petitions or other expressions of community opinion;
consider photographs, documents, comments and other evidence submitted tous;
prepare reports, representations, objections or other submissions concerning planning proposals;
communicate with planning authorities, councils, elected representatives, public bodies, developers, landowners and other relevant organisations;
obtain professional, legal, planning, environmental or technical advice;
manage media enquiries and public communications;
understand how our website is used and improve its content;
protect the security and proper operation of our website, email accounts and records;
maintain appropriate records of the group’s activities;
respond to complaints or disputes;
establish, exercise or defend legal rights; and
comply with applicable legal obligations.

We will not use personal information for a materially incompatible purpose without first considering whether we need to provide further privacy information or obtain consent.

5. Our lawful bases

Data-protection law requires us to identify a lawful basis for each way in which we use personal information.

The lawful bases most likely to apply to Knutsford Solar Action are set out below.

Consent

We rely on consent where you make a clear and voluntary choice, including where you:

subscribe to campaign or community email updates;
consent to non-essential website cookies;
agree to the publication of an identifiable quotation, testimonial, photograph, video or personal account; or
agree to another specific use of your information.

You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

Withdrawing consent does not make unlawful anything we did before you withdrew it.

Legitimate interests

We may rely on legitimate interests where using personal information is necessary for the reasonable operation and activities of Knutsford Solar Action.

Those interests may include:

responding to people who contact us;
organising and administering the community group;
understanding local opinion;
investigating and responding to planning proposals;
maintaining records of correspondence and group activity;
communicating with people who are actively involved with the group;
protecting our website, systems and records;
obtaining professional advice;
handling complaints or disputes; and
protecting or exercising the group’s legal rights.

Before relying on legitimate interests, we consider:

what interest we are pursuing;
whether using the information is necessary for that purpose; and
whether the person’s interests, rights or reasonable expectations override our interests.

Legal obligation

We may use personal information where this is necessary to comply with an obligation imposed by law.

Contract or steps before entering into a contract

This basis may apply in limited circumstances where we engage a supplier, adviser, contractor or service provider and need to use personal information to enter into or administer that arrangement.

6. Special-category information

Certain information receives additional protection under data-protection law. This includes information about:

health;
racial or ethnic origin;
political opinions;
religious or philosophical beliefs;
trade-union membership;
genetic or biometric identification;
sex life; and
sexual orientation.

Knutsford Solar Action does not generally seek to collect this type of information.

However, a person may voluntarily include sensitive information in a survey response, personal account, objection or description of how a proposal may affect them.

Where we need to use special-category information, we will identify both:

a lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR; and
an additional condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR or Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include your explicit consent or the need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

We will not publish or disclose special-category information merely because it has been provided to us.

7. Surveys and questionnaires

When you complete a survey or questionnaire, we will explain what information is requested and the main purpose for which it will be used.

We may use survey responses to:

understand local opinion;
identify concerns or patterns;
produce statistics and reports;
inform Knutsford Solar Action’s activities;
support planning representations or objections; and
communicate community views to relevant organisations.

Where reasonably possible, survey findings will be reported in an aggregated or anonymised form. For example, we may publish the number or percentage of respondents who hold a particular view.

We will not normally publish your name, email address, telephone number or complete identifiable response without your consent.

However, a response may still identify you where it contains:

your precise address;
detailed information about your property;
distinctive personal circumstances;
a description of a specific incident; or
other information from which you can reasonably be recognised.

We may edit, summarise or anonymise responses before publication or wider circulation.

We may share aggregated or anonymised findings with:

local residents;
planning authorities;
parish, town, borough or unitary councils;
elected representatives;
public bodies;
professional advisers;
the media;
the developer or applicant associated with a planning proposal;
other community organisations; and
members of the public through our website or campaign materials.

8. Planning representations and public records

Planning applications, representations and related documents may be made publicly available by the relevant planning authority.

Information submitted directly to a planning authority may become part of the public planning record. This may include a person’s name, address, comments, photographs or other supporting evidence, subject to the planning authority’s own publication and redaction policies.

Where you ask Knutsford Solar Action to submit an identifiable statement, representation, photograph or other evidence on your behalf, we will seek to make clear that:

it may be sent to a planning authority or other public body;
it may be disclosed to the applicant, developer or another interested party;
it may be published online;
it may be referred to in a public meeting or hearing; and
it may be retained as part of an official public record.

We will not normally submit your private email address or telephone number for publication unless this is required or you have specifically agreed to it.

Planning authorities, councils and other public bodies are separate controllers of information they receive. Their own privacy notices will apply to their subsequent use of that information.

9. Email updates

We will send campaign or community email updates where you have asked to receive them and have provided the necessary consent.

Our signup forms should clearly explain:

that the emails are from Knutsford Solar Action;
the general nature of the updates;
that subscribing is optional; and
that consent can be withdrawn at any time.

You can unsubscribe at any time by:

using the unsubscribe link in an email, where available; or
contacting us at knutsfordsolar@gmail.com

We may retain a limited suppression record, such as your email address and the date you unsubscribed, so that we can ensure we do not add you back to the mailing list accidentally.

Unsubscribing from campaign updates will not prevent us from responding to a separate enquiry you have made or sending an essential administrative message relating to something you have specifically requested.

10. Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Essential cookies

Essential cookies may be used where they are necessary to:

operate the website;
provide requested functionality;
protect the website against misuse; or
remember privacy or cookie choices.

Consent is not normally required for cookies that are strictly necessary to provide a service requested by the visitor.

Non-essential cookies

Non-essential cookies, including many analytics, tracking, advertising or social-media cookies, will not be placed unless:

the visitor has received clear information about them; and
the visitor has made an affirmative choice to accept them.

Visitors should be able to reject non-essential cookies as easily as they can accept them and should be able to change their choice later.

Our website may use services provided by:

Website platform: specifically WordPress;
Website forms providers
Analytics providers, specifically Google Analytics
Email updates
Cookie-management provider
Website security or spam protection:

A separate Cookie Policy or cookie-settings tool may provide further details about the individual cookies used.

The list above should be updated whenever a relevant website service is added, removed or changed.

11. Who we may share information with

Where necessary and lawful, we may share personal information with:

authorised members of the Knutsford Solar Action organising committee;
volunteers who need limited access to carry out an agreed activity;
website-hosting, form, email, cloud-storage, analytics, security and IT providers;
solicitors, barristers, planning consultants, environmental consultants and other professional or technical advisers;
planning authorities;
parish, town, borough, unitary or other councils;
elected representatives;
regulators, courts, tribunals, law-enforcement bodies or other public authorities;
event, venue or meeting providers;
other community organisations working with us for a compatible purpose;
the applicant, developer, landowner or their representatives where this is necessary and appropriate;
journalists or media organisations, normally with consent where the information identifies a private individual; and
another person or organisation where you have specifically asked or agreed that we may share the information.

We do not sell or rent personal information.

We will not provide our mailing list or supporter list to:

a political party;
a commercial business;
a developer;
a landowner; or
another third party

for that organisation’s own marketing or campaigning purposes.

Where an external provider processes information on our behalf, we will take reasonable steps to use a suitable provider and ensure that appropriate data-protection terms are in place.

12. International transfers

Some website, email, form, analytics, cloud-storage or other technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.

We will check whether our providers make international transfers and, where required, ensure that an appropriate transfer mechanism is in place.

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 transfer mechanism permitted by UK data-protection law.

Further information about a particular provider’s international transfers may be available in that provider’s privacy information.

This section should be updated when the group confirms which technology providers it uses and where they process information.

13. How long we keep personal information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, regulatory, evidential or security requirements.

Our intended retention periods are:

General enquiries and correspondence

Normally up to two years after the last meaningful contact.

Correspondence may be kept for longer where it forms part of an important planning, complaint, legal or historical record.

Mailing-list information

Until you unsubscribe, we close the mailing list or it is no longer reasonably required.

We may retain limited suppression information after you unsubscribe to ensure that your preference continues to be respected.

Survey responses

Identifiable survey responses will normally be retained until the relevant planning, consultation, appeal or complaint process has concluded and for up to two years afterwards.

Responses may then be deleted or anonymised unless there is a legitimate reason to retain them for longer.

Volunteer and event information

Normally for up to two years after your involvement or the relevant event, unless further retention is reasonably necessary.

Planning evidence and campaign records

For the duration of the relevant planning process, including any appeal, challenge or complaint, and normally for up to six years after the process has concluded.

Selected records may be retained for longer where they form part of the group’s legitimate historical archive, provided that the effect on individuals’ privacy has been considered.

Website and security logs

Normally for up to 12 months, unless longer retention is needed to investigate a security incident, misuse or legal claim.

Photographs and published material

For as long as the material remains relevant to the group’s work, subject to periodic review and any valid objection or withdrawal of consent.

Complaints, disputes and legal matters

Until the matter has concluded and any relevant legal limitation or review period has expired.

We may retain information that has been properly anonymised because it no longer identifies an individual.

14. How we protect personal information

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information.

These may include:

limiting access to people who reasonably need it;
using individual password-protected accounts;
using strong passwords;
enabling multi-factor authentication where available;
keeping websites, plugins and software updated;
using reputable service providers;
restricting the downloading or copying of supporter information;
avoiding the use of shared personal accounts where possible;
maintaining suitable backups;
using anti-malware and website-security measures;
removing access when a committee member or volunteer leaves;
securely deleting information that is no longer needed; and
reviewing who has access to forms, surveys, email accounts and stored records.

Members and volunteers who have access to personal information must use it only for Knutsford Solar Action’s authorised activities and must not use or disclose it for personal purposes.

No internet, email or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

15. Personal-data breaches

A personal-data breach may include the loss, accidental disclosure, unauthorised access, alteration or destruction of personal information.

Where we become aware of a possible breach, we will:

take reasonable steps to contain it;
assess the risks to affected individuals;
preserve appropriate records;
take steps to prevent recurrence;
notify affected individuals where legally required; and
report the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office where legally required.

16. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, you may have the right to:

receive clear information about how we use your personal information;
obtain a copy of personal information we hold about you;
have inaccurate information corrected;
have incomplete information completed;
ask for information to be erased;
ask us to restrict how information is used;
object to certain uses of your information;
object at any time to the use of your information for direct marketing;
withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
receive certain information in a portable format; and
not be subject to certain solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects.

These rights are not absolute. Whether a particular right applies may depend on:

the reason we are using the information;
the lawful basis being relied upon;
whether the information is still required for another lawful purpose; and
any applicable legal exemption.

We do not currently use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

To exercise a right, contact: Knutsfordsolar@gmail.com

Please describe the information or activity concerned as clearly as possible.

We may request reasonable evidence of identity before disclosing personal information. We will not request more identity information than is reasonably necessary.

We will normally respond within one month, subject to any extension permitted by law.

17. Children’s information

Our website and activities are primarily intended for adults engaging with local planning and community matters.

We do not intentionally use the website to collect personal information directly from young children.

Where a child or young person participates in an event, survey or campaign activity, we will consider:

the person’s age and understanding;
the nature of the information;
whether a parent or guardian should be involved;
the best interests of the child; and
whether any additional privacy information or consent is required.

Please do not submit identifiable photographs, health information or other personal information about a child unless you are authorised to do so and there is a legitimate reason for providing it.

We will not use children’s information for commercial marketing.

18. Photographs, videos and event recordings

We may take general photographs or video recordings at public meetings and community events.

Where practical, we will:

provide advance or on-the-day notice that photography or recording is taking place;
explain the intended use;
provide a reasonable way for attendees to avoid being photographed;
obtain specific consent before using an identifiable person as the main subject of promotional material; and
obtain appropriate permission before deliberately publishing a prominent image of a child.

General crowd or event photographs may sometimes be used on the basis of legitimate interests where attendees have been appropriately informed and the use is reasonable and not intrusive.

Consent may be more appropriate for:

posed individual photographs;
personal testimonials;
case studies;
interviews;
prominent images of children; and
potentially sensitive or private situations.

You may contact us to object to the future use of an image in which you are identifiable. We will consider the request and remove or stop using the image where reasonably required and practicable.

19. Social media and third-party websites

Our website may contain links to:

social-media platforms;
planning portals;
local-authority websites;
petitions;
news websites;
maps; and
other third-party services.

Those organisations are responsible for their own use of personal information. Their privacy policies apply when you use their websites or services.

Information posted publicly on social media may be visible to other users, copied, shared or indexed by search engines.

Although we may moderate our own pages or groups, we do not control how other users or the social-media platform use information that has been posted publicly.

20. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have concerns about how Knutsford Solar Action has used your personal information:

Email: knutsfordsolar@gmail.com

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You can also obtain information through the ICO’s website.

21. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when:

our activities change;
we introduce or remove a website service;
our use of personal information changes;
legal or regulatory requirements change; or
we identify that further clarification is needed.

The current version will be published on the Knutsford Solar Action website and will show the date it was last updated.

Where a change materially affects how we use information already provided to us, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of affected people.

22. Contact details

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact:

Knutsford Solar Action