Cookies
A cookie is a small file that is downloaded onto your machine when you first visit a website. This cookie enables the site identify your web browser and track its activities on that site. A cookie does not reveal any personally identifiable information that you have not otherwise disclosed. Cookies make the interaction between visitor and website much faster and smoother by helping to identify previous site settings you may have chosen with specific colour schemes and page layouts or information you may have added for registration details. Cookies also help with storing information regarding shopping carts and e-commerce.
Many e-commerce sites will not work very well, if at all, if cookies are disabled.
There are two types of cookies - session and persistent:
- Session cookies: Expire at the end of the session (When you close your browser). The session cookie is then deleted from your PC.
- Persistent cookies: Do not expire at the end of the session and remain on your PC to assist with a return visit.
Generally website browsers automatically accept website cookies, but most will allow you to control how your browser interacts with these by allowing you to accept certain ones that you feel may be necessary for your visit or by rejecting all. If you do chose to reject certain cookies you may lose certain functionality and features that these cookies help to provide.
To learn more about cookies and how to manage, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
Where cookies are used on our website
We have a number of cookies that are set on our main website and via plugin services. These are detailed below :
- CFID – Persistent cookie
- CFTOKEN – Persistent cookie
- PUBLIC_NEWVISIT – Session Cookie
- OP_NEWVISIT – Session Cookie
- GAZETTEERUPRN - Persistent cookie
These variables keep track of a client's state e.g. to see if the user is logged in, or being able to determine which session variable (such as a shopping cart) belongs to a specific user.
CFID is an incremental value.
CFTOKEN is a randomly generated number.
OP_NEWVISIT and PUBLIC_NEWVISIT enable our web content management system to distinguish between internal and external users for website editing purposes.
GAZETTEERUPRN records the users address (if requested) so that the waste calendar can present them with their next waste collection times without having to search for their property each time they visit the waste calendar page. No personal information is held, just the address. This cookie is stored and removed at the users' request. If you have not chosen to store your address this cookie will not exist on your computer.
These cookies simply enhance site usability. Cotswold District Council does not use these cookies currently as we do not have a login section or shopping cart. They may be used in future developments of this website.
- SOCITM_exclude_me(n) - Persistent cookie
This cookie is set when a user fills in or chooses not to fill in our SOCITM exit survey. The cookie being set means that the user will not see the survey every time they leave our site (unless cookies have been deleted).
- CDC_ID – Session cookie
This is a cookie set only for internal (CDC) users so that we can see which members of staff have filled in forms on behalf of customers over the telephone. It should be set to “anonymous” or not present at all for any external (public) users.
Cookies from third party plugin services
We have been informed by our following suppliers that they use session cookies that are removed from your machine when the user exits the browser.
Capita – Online payments
- JSESSIONID – Session Cookie
Google analytics – Monitoring number of site visitors and web statistics.
- _utma – persistent cookie
- _utmb – persistent cookie
- _utmc – session cookie
- _utmz – persistent cookie
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
This privacy policy applies only to our site, so you should always be aware when you are moving to another site and read the privacy statement of any site that collects personal information.