Cookies

A cookie is a small file that is downloaded onto your device when you visit a website, which means the website can recognise your device if you return to it.

Cookies are used to:

  • recognise where you have already given your username and password, so you don’t need to do it for every visit
  • recognise your device so you don’t have to give the same information several times during the same online task
  • measure how you use the site so it can be updated and improved based on your needs
  • provide data to help understand how a website and its services are used.
     
 

Cookies cannot be used to identify you as an individual

How cookies are used on this site

Measuring how our site is used – Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use this site. We do this to make sure the site is meeting the needs of our users and to help us improve it.

Every time you visit our site, Google Analytics software creates ‘anonymous analytics’ cookies. These cookies are used to tell us:

  • how many people are using our site and how long they are using it for
  • the different ways people have used to get to our site
Google analytics cookies from this website
  Name Purpose Expires
  _utma Used to determine the number of unique visitors to the site 2 years
  _utmb This works with _utmc to calculate the average length of time you spend on our site 30 minutes
  _utmc This works with _utmb to calculate when you close your browser

When you close your browser

  _utmv This provides information about how you reached our site (eg from another website or a search engine) 2 years
  _utmz Used to store variable data by visitor 6 months

Google Analytics – Advertising Features

This site also uses Google Analytics Advertising Features.  These features will not be used for advertising but instead provide the council with more information about who visits our site and what they look at, in order to provide us with information and make improvements to the website.  The information collected by these cookies cannot identify individuals.

Within Advertising Features we have implemented Demographics and Interests reports. These allow us to see a breakdown of age groups, gender and interest categories. More information about how Google determines demographic information is available here. More information on how Google determines  interest reports is available here.

We retain this Google Analytics data for a period of 50 months.

Facebook Pixel

Facebook Pixel helps us with measuring how effective our Facebook adverts are. We’re then able to use this information to improve our marketing. Using Facebook Pixel does not allow us to identify any individuals. You can read more about Facebook cookies and managing your advert preferences.

Opt out of sharing cookies

To opt out of sharing cookies you can use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

You can also disable cookies in your browser settings:

Google Chrome

Safari

Internet Explorer

Firefox

Further reading

All about Cookies

Information Commissioner's Office