Cookies Policy
1. Cookies and how you use this website
To make this website easier to use, we sometimes place small text files on your device (for example your iPad or laptop) called cookies. Most big websites do this too.
They improve things by:
- remembering the things you’ve chosen while on our website, so you don’t have to keep re-entering them whenever you visit a new page
- remembering data you’ve given (for example, your address) so you don’t need to keep entering it
- measuring how you use the website so we can make sure it meets your needs
By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.
We don’t use cookies on this website that collect information about what other websites you visit (often referred to as privacy intrusive cookies). Our cookies aren’t used to identify you personally. They’re just here to make the site work better for you. You can manage and/or delete these files as you wish. To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit AboutCookies.org or watch a video about cookies.
2. How you use this website (something called Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics to collect information about how people use this site. We do this to make sure it’s meeting peoples’ needs and to understand how we can make the website work better.
Google Analytics stores information about what pages on this site you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here and what you click on while you are here. We do not collect or store any other personal information (e.g. your name or address) so this data cannot be used to identify who you are.
| Name | Typical Content | Expires |
| _utma | randomly generated number | 2 years |
| _utmb | randomly generated number | 30 minutes |
| _utmc | randomly generated number | when you close your browser |
| _utmx | randomly generated number | 2 years |
| _utmxx | randomly generated number | 2 years |
| _utmz | randomly generated number and data on how the site was reached (e.g. direct or via a link, organic search or paid search) |
We also collect data on the number of times a word is searched for and the number of failed searches. We use this information to improve access to the site and identify gaps in the content and see if it is something we should add to the site.
Unless the law allows us to, we do not:
- share any of the data we collect about you with others, or
- use this data to identify individuals.
3. Other people’s cookies
We use videos from YouTube and feeds from other websites such as Facebook and Twitter. These websites place cookies on your device when watching or viewing these pages.
Below are links to their cookie policies:
4.Turning off cookies
You can stop cookies being downloaded on to your computer or other device by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. If you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.
There is more information about how to delete or stop using cookies on AboutCookies.org. You can also opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics.
Further guidance on the use of personal information can be found at ico.org.uk.
5. Controlling your browser cookies
You can use your browser to:
- delete and block all cookies
- allow all cookies
- block third-party cookies
- clear all cookies when you close the browser
- open a ‘private browsing’ / ‘incognito’ session, which allows you to browse the internet without storing local data
- install add-ons and plug-ins to extend browser functionality.
You can find information about controlling cookies via the following web resources:
- Internet Explorer cookies information
- Chrome cookies information
- Firefox cookies information
- Safari cookies information
- Opera cookies information.
6. EU Cookie directive
The law relating to cookies has changed and the Information Commissioner’s Office has issued guidance on the changes.
Our use of cookies
The lists below show all the cookies that are set by this website and the third-party services that we use.
Cookies for managing your current visit
We use a number of cookies to remember your selections or preferences that you have made when looking at the information on this website.
| Cookie name | Type | Description | Expires |
| ASP.NET_SessionId | Session | Stores the session id of a user. | When you close your browser |
| Clientvars | 1st Party | Used to logon to the website via the logon screen. | 2 days |
| Fontsize | Session | Used to adjust and remember the font size setting of the website | When you close your browser |
| mode | 1st Party | Used to adjust and remember the normal and high contrast setting of the website | 3 months |
| TextOnlyX | 1st Party | Text only version of website | Immediately |
Cookies set by Google Analytics
Bexley Council does allow the use of Google Analytic cookies to gather data on a totally anonymous basis in order to help us accurately monitor the number of visitors to our website and volumes of usage.
Please refer to the Google code website for further details on the cookies set.
Cookies used by Google Analytics
| Cookie name | Type | Description | Expires |
| __utma | Other | This cookie is typically written to the browser upon the first visit to your site from that web browser. | 2 years |
| __utmb | Other | This cookie is used to establish and continue a user session with your site. | 30 minutes |
| __utmc | Session | Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine whether or not to establish a new session for the user. | When you close your browser |
| __utmz | Other | This cookie stores the type of referral used by the visitor to reach your site, whether via a direct method, a referring link, a website search, or a campaign such as an ad or an email link | 6 months |
Cookies used by YouTube
YouTube videos are available to watch on our website.
| Cookie name | Type | Description | Expires |
| VISITOR_INFO_LIVE PREF use_hitbox | 3rd Party | We embed videos from YouTube using YouTube privacy-enhanced mode | 6 months 2022 When you close your browser |
Please refer to YouTube help for further details on the cookies set.
Google Analytics
| Cookie name | Type | Description | Expires |
| __utma | Other | This cookie is typically written to the browser upon the first visit to your site from that web browser. | 2 years |
| __utmb | Other | This cookie is used to establish and continue a user session with your site. | 30 minutes |
| __utmc | Session | Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine whether or not to establish a new session for the user. | When you close your browser |
| __utmz | Other | This cookie stores the type of referral used by the visitor to reach your site, whether via a direct method, a referring link, a website search, or a campaign such as an ad or an email link | 6 months |