Privacy Policy - Landscaping Hoxton

This Privacy Policy explains how Landscaping Hoxton collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data when providing landscaping and related services. It applies to all Landscaping Hoxton customers in the area, including individuals, households, property managers, landlords, businesses, and anyone who engages our services or communicates with us in connection with those services.

We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We only collect personal data that is relevant and necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

1. Personal Data We Collect

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

Identity information: name, title, and business or property name where relevant.
Contact details: postal address, email address, telephone number, and any preferred communication method.
Service details: information about the landscaping services requested, property access requirements, site preferences, and project instructions.
Billing and payment information: invoice details, payment status, and related financial records.
Technical and usage information: limited information generated when you use digital communication channels, such as basic device or browser data if applicable.
Correspondence records: messages, complaints, feedback, quotations, and notes relating to service delivery.
Site-related information: photographs or observations needed to assess a garden, outdoor space, or project location.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is necessary and lawful to do so, and you have been informed or another legal condition applies. If such information is provided incidentally, we will take appropriate safeguards.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to operate our business and provide landscaping services effectively. This may include:

responding to enquiries and providing quotations;
setting up and managing customer records;
planning, scheduling, and delivering services;
handling invoicing, payments, and account administration;
communicating about appointments, project updates, or service issues;
maintaining quality, safety, and service records;
resolving complaints or disputes;
meeting legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting obligations;
protecting our business, customers, staff, and property from fraud or misuse.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which it was collected, unless we reasonably determine that another compatible purpose applies and the law permits it.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where we have a lawful basis under UK GDPR. Depending on the context, we rely on one or more of the following bases:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes preparing quotations, arranging landscaping work, delivering services, managing bookings, and processing payments.

Legal Obligation

We may process personal data when required to comply with legal duties, including tax, accounting, business recordkeeping, consumer law, and other regulatory requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing our operations, improving our services, preventing fraud, and maintaining secure records. We always consider whether the processing is reasonable, necessary, and proportionate.

Consent

Where consent is required by law, we will ask for it clearly and separately. If you give consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing already carried out before it was withdrawn.

4. How We Share Personal Data

We may share personal data with trusted third parties that help us operate our services. These third parties act as processors or, in limited cases, independent controllers. We only share the minimum data necessary and only when appropriate safeguards are in place.

We may share data with:

Payment service providers for invoicing and payment processing;
IT and cloud service providers that store or support our business systems;
Administrative or bookkeeping processors assisting with accounting and record management;
Professional advisers such as accountants, insurers, or legal advisers where needed;
Public authorities where we are legally required to do so;
Subcontractors or service partners who help deliver landscaping work, subject to contractual confidentiality and data protection obligations.

We do not sell personal data.

5. Data Processors

Where we use external processors, they are required to act only on our instructions and to protect personal data appropriately. We select processors carefully and aim to ensure that appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place. Typical processor responsibilities may include secure storage, system hosting, email support, payment handling, or business administration.

All processors are expected to:

process personal data only for specified purposes;
keep data confidential;
implement suitable security measures;
assist with data subject rights where applicable;
delete or return data when processing ends, unless retention is required by law.

Where data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are used, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, insurance, or dispute-resolution requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose of processing.

As a general approach:

customer and service records are retained for the duration of the working relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards;
invoice and payment records are kept for the time required by financial and tax obligations;
communications and project notes are stored only as long as needed for administration, evidence, or follow-up;
where consent is the lawful basis, data is kept until consent is withdrawn or the information is no longer needed;
data that is no longer required is securely deleted or anonymised.

When determining retention, we consider the nature of the data, the risk of harm from unauthorised use, and any legal requirements that apply.

7. Data Security

We take appropriate measures to protect personal data against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, password protection, limited user permissions, and staff awareness practices.

Although we take reasonable steps to secure data, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law.

8. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
Right to restriction: to request limited use of your data in certain cases.
Right to data portability: to receive certain data in a structured, commonly used format where applicable.
Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or to direct marketing where relevant.
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal limits or exceptions. We will respond to rights requests in line with applicable data protection law.

9. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in connection with a property, household, or service request and is provided by an appropriate adult or lawful representative.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations, or data handling practices. Any revised version will apply from the date it is made available. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how personal data is handled.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Landscaping Hoxton respects your privacy and is committed to using personal data responsibly. We collect only what we need, use it for clear and lawful purposes, retain it for no longer than necessary, and apply safeguards when sharing it with processors. We also recognise and support your rights over your personal information. This policy applies to all Landscaping Hoxton customers in the area and is intended to provide a clear and transparent explanation of how your data is handled.