A cookie is a small text file a website saves on your device. We use the smallest set of cookies we can get away with. No advertising, no tracking pixels, no third-party data sharing.
What we set
Strictly necessary (always on)
| Name | Purpose | Retention | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
dpsco_consent | Remembers whether you accepted, declined or have not yet answered the analytics cookie banner. | 12 months | First-party |
Analytics (cookies set only if you accept)
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), loaded through Google Tag Manager (GTM). Until you click "Accept" on the banner, Google Consent Mode v2 keeps the cookies listed below blocked entirely — no analytics cookies are written and no personal identifier is stored. We do still send a small, cookieless ping per page view so Google can model aggregate traffic numbers (no client ID, no cross-site tracking, IP automatically truncated by Google). If you decline, this cookieless mode continues; if you accept, the cookies below are written and full analytics applies.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes unique visitors with a randomly generated client ID. IP addresses are truncated by GA4 before storage. | 2 years (rolling) |
_ga_T7PL3FFFX6 | Google Analytics 4 | Persists session state for our specific GA4 property (G-T7PL3FFFX6). | 2 years (rolling) |
_gid | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes unique visitors within a 24-hour window. May not always be set depending on the GA4 client version. | 24 hours |
_gat_* / _gat | Google Analytics 4 / GTM | Throttles the request rate to GA. Lifetime is short by design. | 1 minute |
Google's own data-retention setting on the GA4 property is configured to 14 months for event-level data, after which Google deletes it. Read more in Google's cookie reference.
What we don't use
- Advertising cookies. We don't currently run paid ad campaigns. If we ever do, this page will be updated and the banner will re-prompt you.
- Social media tracking pixels (Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, TikTok Pixel, etc.).
- Session recording or heatmap tools that capture your behaviour (Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, FullStory, etc.).
How to control cookies
When you first visit, we ask whether you'll accept analytics cookies. You can change your mind at any time:
- Click — the banner reappears next page load.
- Or clear cookies for this site in your browser settings.
Most browsers also let you block all cookies in settings. If you do, the site still works — you just won't help us see what's getting used.
Third-party cookies on linked sites
When you click an external link (Instagram, planning portals, supplier sites), those sites set their own cookies under their own policies. We don't control them.
More information
For the legal background on cookies in the UK, see the ICO's cookie guidance. For data protection generally, read our privacy policy.