Cookie Policy | RURAL ASSET CONSULTING

1. Cookie Policy Overview

This Cookie Policy sets out how cookies and similar technologies are used on the RURAL ASSET CONSULTING website. It explains what cookies are, the types we use, the purposes they serve, and how you can control them.

We aim to use cookies responsibly and transparently to support a reliable, secure and user-friendly experience for UK-based businesses, property developers and individuals who visit our Site to explore our consulting, advisory, sustainability and compliance services.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are downloaded to your device (such as a computer, tablet or smartphone) when you visit a website. They are stored in your web browser and allow the website to recognise your device over time.

Cookies typically contain information such as the name of the website that set them, a unique identifier and the duration for which they will remain on your device. They may also store settings, preferences or information about your interactions with the website.

Websites use cookies for a range of reasons, including:

Ensuring that essential site features and security functions operate correctly.
Allowing you to move between pages efficiently and maintain your session state (e.g. maintaining information in contact or inquiry forms).
Remembering your preferences, such as language settings or cookie choices.
Understanding how visitors use the site so that we can improve usability, content and performance.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We use several categories of cookies on our Site. Some are set directly by us (first-party cookies) and others are set by third-party providers whose services we use (third-party cookies).

3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of our Site and for providing the services and features you request. They enable core functionalities such as page navigation, security, network management and access to secure areas. The Site cannot function properly without these cookies, and they cannot be switched off in our systems, although you may be able to block them in your browser settings (which could affect site performance and functionality).

3.2 Performance & Analytics Cookies

Performance cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Site by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We may use these cookies to measure traffic, identify popular pages, understand how users move around the Site and diagnose technical issues. This insight allows us to refine our content and improve overall usability.

3.3 Functionality Cookies

Functionality cookies enable the Site to remember choices you make (such as form field entries you have made recently, region or service preferences) and provide enhanced, more personalised features. They may also be used to provide services you have requested, such as saving your progress in a contact or inquiry process.

3.4 Targeting & Marketing Cookies

Targeting or marketing cookies may be set through our Site by third-party providers. They are used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant content or adverts on other sites. While we currently keep marketing cookies to a minimum, we may use them to support campaigns that promote our consulting, advisory, sustainability and compliance services. These cookies work by uniquely identifying your browser and device.

4. Cookies We Use

The table below summarises the main cookies that may be stored when you visit our Site. The exact cookies in use may evolve over time as we refine our services and technology stack, but we will keep this section reasonably up to date.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
rac_cookie_consent	RURAL ASSET CONSULTING	Stores your cookie preferences (e.g. which categories you have accepted or rejected) so that the banner does not repeatedly appear and your choices are honoured.	Strictly Necessary	12 months
rac_session	RURAL ASSET CONSULTING	Maintains a temporary session for technical purposes such as preserving form inputs between pages and providing a consistent experience during a single visit.	Strictly Necessary	Session (deleted when you close your browser)
rac_functional_pref	RURAL ASSET CONSULTING	Remembers preferences such as your chosen services of interest, so that certain forms and content blocks can be pre-populated or tailored.	Functionality	6 months
_ga	Google Analytics	Used to distinguish unique users visiting the Site in order to generate aggregated statistics about traffic and engagement.	Performance & Analytics (Third-Party)	2 years
_ga_<container-id>	Google Analytics	Used to maintain the state of a session for analytics reporting (such as page views, scroll depth and on-site interactions).	Performance & Analytics (Third-Party)	2 years
_gid	Google Analytics	Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how you use the Site during a single browsing session.	Performance & Analytics (Third-Party)	24 hours
_gat	Google Analytics	Used to throttle request rates to Google Analytics, helping ensure performance on busy sites.	Performance & Analytics (Third-Party)	1 minute

If we implement additional tools (for example, further analytics, A/B testing or embedded booking/calendaring services), they may set additional cookies. Where this occurs, we will update this policy and our cookie management tools accordingly.

5. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies on our Site for the following purposes:

To operate our Site securely and reliably: Necessary cookies support key technical functions such as page loading, navigation, form submissions and security controls.
To improve usability and performance: Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors engage with content across consultancy, advisory, sustainability and compliance pages, so we can continually refine structure, navigation and page performance.
To remember your preferences: Functionality cookies may store preferences such as cookie choices and information you have previously provided, reducing the need to re-enter details in contact or inquiry forms.
To support communications and campaigns: Where used, targeting or marketing cookies allow us to understand the effectiveness of our outreach, and to provide more relevant information about our services.
To maintain security and integrity: Certain cookies assist in detecting unusual or malicious activity and help protect our Site, services and users.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have control over how cookies are used on our Site.

6.1 Using Our Cookie Banner

When you first visit our Site, you will see a cookie banner or preference centre. This allows you to:

Accept all cookies – enabling all categories of cookies described in this policy.
Reject non-essential cookies – allowing only strictly necessary cookies required for the Site to function.
Customise settings – selecting which categories (e.g. analytics, functionality) you wish to allow.

You can change your cookie choices at any time by revisiting the cookie settings link that appears in the Site footer. Adjusting your preferences will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

6.2 Browser Controls

In addition to our banner and preference tools, most web browsers let you control cookies through their settings. You can configure your browser to refuse all or some cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. See the section below on enabling and disabling cookies for more detail.

7. Enabling and Disabling Cookies in Your Browser

The steps for managing cookies differ by browser and device. Below are links to instructions provided by common browser vendors. These links may change over time; if a link is broken, please search the vendor's help centre directly.

Google Chrome: Manage cookies in Chrome
Mozilla Firefox: Cookies in Firefox
Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies in Edge
Apple Safari (macOS): Manage cookies and website data in Safari
Safari (iOS): Block cookies in Safari on iPhone or iPad

In general, you can usually find cookie management options under settings or preferences > privacy & security in your browser. Please note that blocking or deleting some cookies may impact your experience on our Site and could prevent certain features (like form submissions or preference storage) from working correctly.

8. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our Site are placed by third-party providers whose services we use to support our operations and improve our services.

The main third-party cookies we currently use include:

Google Analytics (Google LLC): We use Google Analytics to collect anonymised statistics about how visitors use our Site, including the pages visited, time spent on pages, and the type of device or browser used. This information helps us understand how our consulting, advisory, sustainability and compliance content is performing and where we can make improvements. Google Analytics cookies may include _ga, _ga_<container-id>, _gid and _gat.

Third-party providers may combine information collected via cookies on our Site with information that they receive from other sources, in accordance with their own privacy notices. We encourage you to review the privacy and cookie policies of these providers for more detail on how they handle data:

Google Privacy & Terms

We only deploy third-party cookies where we have a lawful basis to do so, and where required, after obtaining your consent through our cookie banner or preference centre.

9. How Long Cookies Are Stored

Cookies can be stored on your device for varying lengths of time:

Session cookies: These are temporary cookies that last only while your browser is open. They are deleted when you close your browser. We may use session cookies for functions such as maintaining the state of forms and enabling secure navigation across pages.
Persistent cookies: These cookies remain on your device after your browser is closed for the period specified in the cookie (for example, several days, months or years) or until you delete them. Persistent cookies are typically used to remember your settings and preferences across visits, and to support analytics reporting over time.

The retention periods for the individual cookies we use are shown in the table above. Once a cookie's retention period has expired, your browser should delete it automatically, provided it has not been removed earlier via your browser settings or our cookie controls.

10. Your Cookie Rights and Choices

Under UK and EU data protection and e-privacy laws, including the UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), you have a range of rights in relation to cookies and the personal data that may be collected through them.

These rights include:

Right to be informed: To receive clear information about how we use cookies and similar technologies, which this Cookie Policy aims to provide.
Right to consent (and to withdraw consent): For non-essential cookies, we seek your consent before placing them. You may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your preferences in our cookie banner or settings tools, or by changing your browser settings.
Right of access: To request access to personal data that we hold about you, which may include data derived from cookies.
Right to rectification and erasure: To ask us to correct inaccurate personal data or to delete personal data where we have no lawful basis to retain it (subject to any legal obligations we may have).
Right to restrict or object to processing: To object to or restrict certain types of processing, including some processing that relies on cookies.
Right to complain: To lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), if you believe your rights have been infringed.

Further information on how we handle personal data and how you can exercise your rights more broadly is set out in our Privacy Policy.

11. Contact and Further Information

If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, or about how we use cookies and similar technologies on our Site, please contact our Data Protection Officer or the relevant contact person using the details on our Contact Us page.

When you contact us, please include:

Your name and contact details.
A clear description of your query or concern.
Where relevant, details of the cookies or technologies you are asking about (for example, the cookie name or the page where you noticed it).

For a fuller overview of how we collect, use and protect personal data (including data obtained via cookies), please also review our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. To learn more about our consulting, advisory, sustainability and compliance services, please see our Services page or contact our team to discuss your project requirements.

This Cookie Policy was last updated on [update date]. We may update it from time to time to reflect changes in technology, applicable law, or our services. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.