Privacy Policy
Last updated: 22 August 2026
London Pavement Geology is a free public record of the building stones of Britain. This page explains what personal information the site collects, why, and what you can do about it. It is written to be read, not to be impressive.
Who is responsible for your data
London Pavement Geology is an unincorporated volunteer project, not a company. For data protection purposes the project is the data controller. Enquiries, including any request about your own data, go to Dave Wallis at [email protected].
The site is hosted and maintained by Livetech (www.livetech.co.uk), who act as our processor and only handle data on our instructions.
We handle personal information in line with UK data protection law: the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).
What we collect, why, and on what basis
| What | Why | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Your name and email address when you submit a location | So we can credit you, and come back to you with questions about the record | Consent, which you give by submitting |
| The location details and photographs you submit | To check, publish and keep them as part of the public record | Consent, and our legitimate interest in maintaining the archive |
| Your name, email address and message when you use a contact form | To reply to you | Consent |
| Your name, email address and comment if you leave a comment | To publish it and to detect spam | Consent |
| Technical information: IP address, browser and device type, pages requested | Server security, spam prevention and diagnosing faults | Legitimate interest |
| Website analytics, only if you agree to cookies | To see which pages people find useful | Consent |
We do not use your data for advertising. We do not sell it. We do not profile you, and nothing on this site makes automated decisions about you.
How long we keep it
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| Contact form messages | 24 months |
| Comments | 24 months |
| Submitted locations and photographs | Kept indefinitely. They are the permanent record this site exists to hold |
| The name and email address of whoever submitted a record | As long as the record itself, so the credit stays accurate and we can ask about it |
| Server logs | 12 months |
| Analytics data held by Google | According to our Google Analytics settings; the cookies themselves expire after two years |
Cookies
The site sets a small number of cookies. Analytics cookies are only set if you agree, and you can change your mind at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of any page. Our Cookie Policy lists every cookie, what it does and how long it lasts.
Other services we use
Some parts of the site rely on services run by other companies, which means data passes to them:
- Google Analytics — only after you agree to cookies. It tells us how many people visit which pages. It does not tell us who you are.
- Google Maps — used to show locations. Loading a map sends your IP address to Google.
- Google reCAPTCHA — used to stop automated spam on the submission and contact forms. It sends technical information about your browser to Google. We treat this as necessary to keep the forms usable; without it they fill up with junk. The script that does the scoring currently loads on every page of the site, not only the pages that have forms.
These services are run by Google, which may process data outside the UK. Google publishes its own privacy terms and the safeguards it applies to those transfers.
Who else sees your data
Personal data is seen only by the people running the project — currently Dave Wallis and Dr Ruth Siddall — and by Livetech as our hosting provider. If you submit a record, the name you give is published as the credit on that record. Your email address is never published.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- be told what we hold about you and why;
- get a copy of it;
- have it corrected if it is wrong;
- have it deleted;
- ask us to restrict how we use it;
- receive it in a portable, machine-readable form;
- object to us using it; and
- withdraw consent at any time, including your cookie choice.
There is no charge for any of this and we will respond within one month. Email [email protected].
One practical limit worth stating plainly: if you ask us to delete a location record you submitted, we will remove your name and email address from it, but the record of the stone and the photograph may stay in the archive, because it is part of a public scientific record that others rely on. If you want the photograph removed as well, say so and we will discuss it with you.
If you are not happy
Tell us first and we will try to put it right. If you are still unhappy you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy we will update it here and change the date at the top.