Privacy Policy Notice

This privacy policy is issued by Piper Architecture, registered address 1 Fry Street, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DY ("we", "us", "our"), and applies to https://www.piperarchitecture.co.uk/ (the "Site") and to our wider business activities. It explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information.

Cookies are covered in a separate Cookie Policy — the privacy policy deals only with personal data.

Key definitions

"You" / "the user" — anyone using this Site or interacting with us as a client, supplier, applicant, or enquirer. GDPR — the UK General Data Protection Regulation. PECR — the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. ICO — the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection regulator.

Our key principles

We handle personal data in line with UK GDPR's core principles: lawfulness, fairness and transparency; purpose limitation; data minimisation; accuracy; storage limitation; integrity and confidentiality; and accountability.

ICO registration

Our ICO registration number is: ZA695316

How we collect and use your personal information

Enquiries

When you contact us through the website or by phone/email, we collect your name, contact details, and the content of your message.

Purpose: To respond to your enquiry about our architectural services. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (responding to people who contact us is a reasonable and expected part of running the business). Retention: Enquiry data is deleted within 12 months if we are not instructed on your project.

Client project and contract records

If you become a client, we collect and hold information necessary to deliver your project, which may include contact details, briefs, drawings, correspondence, and billing information.

Purpose: To perform our contract with you and meet related professional obligations. Lawful basis: Contract; legal obligation (for certain statutory and professional record-keeping requirements). Retention: 15 years from practical completion, to cover the limitation period for professional negligence claims. Following the lapse of the 15-year limitation period, client information will be redacted but drawings retained under a project number in a secure archive file, should the need for these documents arise.

Job applicants

If you apply for a role with us, we collect your CV, covering letter, contact details, and any references provided.

Purpose: To assess your application and manage recruitment. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests. Retention: Details are retained for 6-12 months, then deleted.

Suppliers and contractors

We hold business contact and payment details for suppliers and contractors we engage with.

Purpose: to manage the supplier/contractor relationship and process payments. Lawful basis: contract. Retention: 15 years, in line with client project and contract records retention.

Marketing and newsletters

We do not currently send marketing emails or newsletters. If we start doing so in future, we will rely on your consent, give you a clear way to opt in, and provide an easy unsubscribe option in every message — this section will be updated accordingly at that point.

Sharing your information

We share personal information with third parties where necessary to run our business, which currently includes: Xero – our accountancy software; Acuiti Solutions Ltd – providers of our cloud drive; Paymo – our project management system. Where necessary for the provision of our services, we may share your personal information with third-party professionals, consultants, contractors, and public authorities involved in your project, including structural engineers, ecologists, planning consultants, and local planning authorities. We do not sell personal information, and we only share what's necessary for the third party to provide their service to us or to meet a legal requirement.

Your individual rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to: be informed about how your data is used; access the data we hold about you; have inaccurate data corrected; have data erased in certain circumstances; restrict or object to certain processing; receive your data in a portable format; and not be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing.

You also have the right to complain to the ICO (ico.org.uk) if you're unhappy with how we've handled your data. We aim to resolve any concerns directly first — please contact us using the details below.

We handle subject access requests in line with UK GDPR.

Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information we hold, in line with UK GDPR requirements.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted here with a new revision date.

Our details

Piper Architecture Ltd registered address: 1 Fry Street, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6DY | Company registration number: 09430684 | Email: info@piperarchitecture.co.uk