Cookie Policy

What are cookies?

When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on a users device, for example, computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you visit a website. Cookies are then sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognises that cookie. Cookies are useful because they allow a website to recognise a users device.

Cookies are used to improve services for you through, for example:

  • enabling a service to recognise your device so you don’t have to give the same information several times during one task
  • recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don’t need to do it for every web page requested
  • measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there’s enough capacity to ensure they are fast.

A cookie does not give access to your computer or any other information about you (except for information that you choose to provide to us).

Cookies used on this website

A list of all the cookies used on this website by category is set out below.

Category 1: strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, such as making an electronic payment, cannot be provided.  These cookies last for as long as your current visit to the website.

Consent: For the types of cookies that are strictly necessary, no consent is required.

  • ASP.NET_SessionId and ASPSESSIONIDxxx (the ‘xxx’ part is different for everyone) – These are temporary cookies needed by some of the tools on the website to recognise you from one page to the next. They’re deleted when you leave our site.
  • AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport – Temporary cookie used by our Planning Applications system when you accept the Planning disclaimer. This is deleted when you leave our site.
  • ServerID – Temporary cookie used by our Planning Consultation Portal. This is deleted when you leave our site.
  • JSESSIONID – Temporary cookie used by our Benefits Calculator. This is deleted when you leave our site.

Category 2: performance cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.

Consent: By using this website and the other websites on this domain, wealden.gov.uk, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

  • __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmz – These are set by Google Analytics. We use this service to help us understand how many people are visiting the website and how they’re using it, so that we can see where we can improve.

You can find out more about Google Analytics (external link) or, opt out of Google Analytics (external link) tracking across all websites.

Category 3: functionality cookies

These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For instance, a website may be able to provide you with local weather reports or traffic news by storing in a cookie the region in which you are currently located. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Consent: By using this website and the other websites on this domain, wealden.gov.uk, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.

  • _WealdenDC – This cookie is used to store whether or not a user has seen the latest splash screen on the website. If they have it will stop the splash screen from appearing. This cookie is deleted after 90 days.

Category 4: targeting or advertising cookies

These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.

  • We do not have any cookies of this category on our site

Managing Cookies

You can choose to accept or to decline cookies.  You can set your computer to accept all cookies, to let you know every time one is issued, or to decline cookies.

If you would like us not to use cookies please ‘turn cookies off’ in your browser. If you accept our cookies, please note that they will remain in your computer for five years, unless you delete them.

Please note that turning off cookies may limit your use of parts of our website.

If you would like more information about cookies and how to turn them off, About Cookies.org – How to Control Cookies (external link) is a good source of information, instructions for different browsers and guidance (Wealden District Council is not responsible for the content of this external site).

If you have any questions, please contact the Web Team.