Privacy Policy – BID Fort William Ltd
Effective Date: 29th May, 2025
BID Fort William Ltd is committed to protecting your personal data and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data, especially in relation to BID operations and levy collection.
Who We Are
BID Fort William Ltd
Airds House, An Aird, Fort William, Scotland, PH33 6BL
Company number SC838420
Email: manager@bidfortwilliam.co.uk
Phone: 07448 533 127
1. What Information We Collect
We may collect and process:
- Your name, email address, phone number, and business details
- Non-domestic ratepayer information (from Highland Council)
- Website usage data (via cookies)
- Email newsletter preferences
- Responses submitted through Google Forms (e.g. surveys, event sign-ups, feedback)
Some of this information may constitute personal data, especially where individuals are sole traders or act on behalf of businesses.
2. How We Collect Your Data
We collect data through:
- The Highland Council, who share non-domestic rates data for levy administration
- Contact forms or direct correspondence
- Our newsletter sign-up forms (via Mailchimp)
- Google Forms (for surveys, event registrations, or consultations)
- Our website, through cookies and analytics
Highland Council’s privacy notice is available at:
Highland Council Privacy Notice
3. Why We Process Your Data (Legal Basis)
We process your personal data based on:
- Legal Obligation – to administer the BID levy under The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 and associated regulations
- Public Task – to fulfil our responsibilities as a BID operator
- Legitimate Interests – to communicate with stakeholders and operate effectively
- Consent – for activities such as newsletters, surveys, and event sign-ups (via Mailchimp or Google Forms)
4. How We Use Your Data
We use your data to:
- Administer and manage the BID levy
- Communicate BID updates and services
- Manage event registrations and stakeholder feedback
- Improve our website and communications through analytics
- Send newsletters (if you have opted in)
5. Data Sharing
We may share your data with:
- The Highland Council (for levy billing or compliance)
- Trusted IT and cloud service providers (under contract), including:
- Google LLC (for Google Forms and Google Workspace)
- Mailchimp (for email newsletters)
- Analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics)
All third-party services are subject to GDPR-compliant data processing agreements.
We never sell your data.
6. Google Forms
We use Google Forms, part of Google Workspace, to collect information from stakeholders (e.g. consultation responses, event RSVPs). Information you provide is transmitted securely to our account and stored in line with our data retention policy.
Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
7. Mailchimp
We use Mailchimp to send newsletters and updates. If you opt in, your name and email will be stored securely on Mailchimp servers (in the US) and will not be shared. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.
Mailchimp Privacy Policy: https://www.intuit.com/privacy/statement/
8. Website Cookies & Analytics
Cookies on Our Website
Our WordPress website uses cookies to:
- Enable basic website functionality
- Remember your preferences (e.g. cookie banner)
- Measure website usage through Google Analytics
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to monitor website performance and visitor behaviour. Data collected is anonymised and aggregated to help us improve the site.
You can disable cookies via your browser or through the cookie consent banner.
9. Data Retention
We retain your data only as long as necessary:
- Levy and finance records: 6 years
- Google Forms responses: up to 3 years after collection
- Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe
- Analytics data: up to 26 months (anonymised)
10. Your Rights
You have rights under the UK GDPR, including:
- Right to access your data
- Right to rectify inaccurate data
- Right to object to or restrict processing
- Right to data portability
- Right to erasure (in some cases)
- Right to withdraw consent (e.g. for newsletters)
You can contact us at manager@bidfortwilliam.co.uk to exercise any of these rights.
11. Policy Updates
We may update this policy as necessary. The latest version will always be available on our website.
12. Contact Us
BID Fort William Ltd
manager@bidfortwilliam.co.uk
07448 533 127