Privacy Policy

At Drone Site Surveys Ltd, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our website https://dronesitesurveys.co.uk or contact us.

By using our website, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy.

1. Who We Are

This website is owned and operated by:

Drone Site Surveys Ltd
Website: https://dronesitesurveys.co.uk
Email: info@dronesitesurveys.co.uk
Phone: 0345 017 5592
Registered Address:

4A Hurricane Drive
Speke
Liverpool
L24 8RL

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data to operate our website, respond to enquiries, and deliver services.

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

• Name, email, and phone number (e.g. via forms or email)
• Company details and project information (when requesting quotations)
• Comments you submit on our website
• What you type into our quote form – nothing is sent to us until you press Send, unless you have accepted analytics cookies (see 4.2). If you have, your answers are saved as you type, so we can help if you do not finish.

2.2 Data Collected Automatically

When you browse our website, we collect technical data such as:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Pages visited and time spent on the site

All activity on this website is automatically recorded in server logs, both by our own web servers and by the hosting and security providers that deliver the site. These logs include the technical details listed above, together with the date and time of each request.

2.3 Embedded Content

Articles or pages on our site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, or maps). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if you visited the external site directly. These websites may collect data, use cookies, and track your interaction according to their own privacy policies.

2.4 Google Drive data access and use

Drone Site Surveys uses Google Drive as part of its standard job delivery process. Project files, reports, images and related documents are delivered and stored through Google Drive as part of our normal business operations, independently of the client portal plugin referred to below.

In some cases, Drone Site Surveys also uses a white-labelled client portal to provide clients with a more branded and streamlined way to access files that are already held in Google Drive. This portal does not replace Google Drive as the underlying storage platform. Rather, it provides an alternative interface through which authorised users may browse, preview and download content that has already been made available through Google Drive.

Where this portal is used, access to Google Drive is used solely for the purpose of:

• displaying folders and files within the client portal
• retrieving file metadata, including file names, file types, file sizes, thumbnails and modification dates
• previewing supported files, including PDFs, images, text files, audio and video
• facilitating file downloads requested by authorised users
• generating temporary ZIP archives where an authorised user requests the download of a folder through the portal

The portal operates on a read-only basis in relation to Google Drive content. It does not create, edit, upload, rename, move or delete files within a connected Google Drive account.

Google user data accessed through the portal is used only where necessary to provide the relevant portal functionality to authorised users. It is not used for advertising, profiling, sale to third parties, or any unrelated secondary purpose.

To enable previews, downloads and folder ZIP downloads through the portal, file metadata and file content may be transmitted through our servers. Where a folder ZIP download is requested, temporary archive files and related processing files may be created on our servers and removed after download or through scheduled system cleanup. The underlying project files themselves remain stored in Google Drive as part of our normal job delivery process.

We restrict access to Google Drive-connected portal functionality and related data to what is reasonably necessary for the operation of the service and the provision of authorised access to project files. Appropriate technical and organisational measures are applied to protect connected account credentials and related personal data.

If you have connected or been granted access through a Google Drive-based portal provided by Drone Site Surveys, you may request further information about that access or ask us to review it by contacting us at info@dronesitesurveys.co.uk.

Lawful basis for processing

Where personal data is processed in connection with Google Drive access, Drone Site Surveys does so in accordance with applicable UK and EU data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR where applicable, and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Depending on the circumstances, our lawful basis for this processing may include:

• our legitimate interests in operating a secure client portal and providing controlled access to project files and related documentation
• the performance of a contract, or taking steps at the request of a client prior to entering into a contract
• compliance with a legal obligation, where applicable

We will only process personal data to the extent necessary for the relevant purpose and in line with the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimisation and security.

3. Comments and Spam Detection

When visitors leave comments, we collect:

• The data shown in the comment form
• The visitor’s IP address
• The browser’s user agent string (to help detect spam)

4. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use essential cookies to make this website work and, only if you agree, analytics cookies to help us understand how the website is used.

When you first visit, a banner asks for your choice. You can accept or reject analytics cookies, and change your mind at any time using the cookie button in the bottom-left corner of every page.

4.1 Essential cookies (always on)

• dss_consent – remembers your cookie choice so we don’t ask you again (expires after 180 days).
• Comment cookies – store your details so you don’t need to re-enter them when commenting again (expires after 1 year).
• Login cookies – store login information and preferences (expires after 2 days, or 2 weeks if “Remember Me” is selected).
• sid and cookie_test – set by our enquiry system (hq.dronesitesurveys.co.uk) when our quote form loads, so that the form works. sid is deleted when you close your browser, cookie_test after 30 days. They are not used to track you.

4.2 Analytics cookies (only with your consent)

We use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google, to see which pages are visited and how people find our website. We do not use its advertising features. These cookies are only set if you click “Accept all” or switch on analytics under “Manage preferences”.

• _ga – distinguishes one visitor from another (expires after 2 years).
• _ga_K34V6Q8M4M – keeps track of your visit session (expires after 2 years).

If you withdraw your consent, we stop loading Google Analytics and remove its cookies. You can read how Google handles this data in Google’s privacy policy.

With the same consent, our quote form (run by our own enquiry system) also records how the form is used – the steps reached, the messages shown, your device and screen size – and saves your answers as you type, so we can follow up if you start an enquiry but do not finish it. It also looks up the approximate location and network of your IP address with proxycheck.io. Without your consent none of this happens, and nothing you type is sent to us until you press Send. You can change your choice at any time with the cookie settings button on every page.

4.3 Managing cookies in your browser

You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the website from working.

5. How We Use Your Data

We only process your data where lawful and necessary, including:

• Responding to your enquiries
• Following up an enquiry you started on our quote form but did not send (only if you accepted analytics cookies)
• Providing quotations and services
• Approving and displaying comments
• Improving website performance and security
• Fulfilling legal and regulatory obligations

We do not sell or rent your data to third parties.

6. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, we process your data on the following grounds:

• Contract – to provide the services or information you request
• Consent – where you opt in to receive our news, for analytics cookies, and for saving and following up quote form answers you have not sent. You can withdraw it at any time.
• Legitimate interests – responding to enquiries you send us, improving our website, and keeping it secure (including checking contact form messages for spam)
• Legal obligations – where required by law

7. Who We Share Your Data With

We only share data when necessary and securely:

• Our internal team, to respond to your requests
• Website hosting and security providers
• Email service providers
• Automated spam detection services
• The providers we use for these: Google (Analytics, only with your consent; reCAPTCHA spam checks on our contact form; Google Fonts), Trustindex (the reviews shown on our pages), proxycheck.io (IP address lookups for our quote form, only with your consent) and Microsoft (our email)
• Regulatory authorities, where legally required

All third-party processors comply with GDPR and data protection laws.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Registered accounts – personal data is stored in user profiles and visible to the user; you can edit or delete your information at any time (except your username).
• Enquiry data – kept only as long as necessary to respond to your request or deliver services.
• Quote form answers you did not send – deleted 30 days after your visit.
• Full IP addresses in our quote form records – deleted after 90 days (a shortened address is kept for our visit statistics).

Once data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the right to:

• Request a copy of your personal data
• Correct inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data
• Restrict or object to processing
• Request data portability
• Withdraw consent where applicable

Your right to object: where we use your data on the basis of legitimate interests you can object at any time, and you can always ask us to stop sending you our news.

To exercise your rights, contact us at info@dronesitesurveys.co.uk.

10. Right to Complain

If you believe we’ve mishandled your data, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Website: https://ico.org.uk/
Helpline: 0303 123 1113

11. Where We Send Your Data

Visitor comments may be checked via an automated spam detection service.
We may also process your data on secure servers located inside or outside the UK, with appropriate safeguards in place. Some of our providers (Google and Microsoft) may process data in the USA; when they do, it is protected by the safeguards UK law requires, such as the UK–US data bridge.

12. How We Protect Your Data

We take security seriously and use:

• SSL encryption on our website
• Secure email servers
• Limited access to personal data
• Regular plugin and security updates
• Monitoring tools to detect unauthorised access

13. Automated Decision-Making & Profiling

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling based on your personal data.

14. Industry Regulatory Disclosures

Drone Site Surveys Ltd operates in compliance with UK aviation, drone, and data protection regulations. Where required, we may share information with relevant authorities.

15. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data rights:

Drone Site Surveys Ltd
Email: info@dronesitesurveys.co.uk
Website: https://dronesitesurveys.co.uk