Privacy notice

Last updated: 28 September 2026

Who's responsible for your information

Andrew McHale, trading as McHale Gardens, is responsible for your personal information (the "controller" under UK data protection law). You can contact Andrew about anything in this notice by email at andrew@mchalegardens.com or by phone on 07732 772050. We're based in Bramley, Guildford, Surrey.

What we collect

Enquiry details: what you tell us when you get in touch, such as your name, postcode or village, what you'd like doing and how you heard about us. If you came to our website from a link with a code in it (for example on one of our leaflets), the enquiry form also sends us that code, so we know which advert brought you to us.
Contact details: your phone number and email address.
Address and garden details: where the work is, how we get into the garden, and notes about the job.
Job and payment records: what work we did and when, what we charged, and how and when you paid.
Photos of your garden: only with your permission.

If you recommend someone to us, or someone recommends you, we note it so you both get your free hour.

Why we use it, and our lawful basis

To reply to your enquiry and give you an estimateLawful basis: taking steps you've asked for before entering into a contract.
To carry out the work, arrange visits and invoice youLawful basis: contract.
To keep tax and accounting recordsLawful basis: legal obligation.
To send sensible follow-ups, such as checking you're happy after a job, or letting you know when it's the right time of year for a hedge trim or lawn renovationLawful basis: legitimate interests (looking after our customers and keeping in touch). You can opt out at any time: just tell us and we'll stop.
To take and use photos of your gardenLawful basis: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

We only share your information with:

Netlify, which hosts this website and receives messages sent through our enquiry form.
Google Workspace, which we use for email.
Monzo Business, which we use for invoicing and payments.
HMRC, if we're required to for tax purposes.
Our self-employed helper, who only gets the job details he needs to do the work, such as the address and what's being done.

Some of these providers, including Netlify and Google, may store or process information outside the UK, for example in the United States. Where they do, they rely on the safeguards UK data protection law requires.

Our website

We don't use cookies, analytics or advertising trackers.
The site uses Google Fonts. When a page loads, your browser fetches the fonts from Google's servers, so Google receives your IP address and basic browser details. See Google's privacy policy.
Netlify, our website host, processes basic technical information such as your IP address to deliver the site and keep it secure.
If you arrive from a link with a code in it (such as mchalegardens.com/?src=leaflet), your browser keeps that code in its session storage until you close the tab, so the enquiry form can include it. It isn't a cookie, and we only see it if you send us the form.

How long we keep it

Tax and accounting records, including job and payment records: at least 5 years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline for the tax year they relate to.
Enquiries that don't go ahead: deleted after about 12 months.
Regular customers: we keep your contact and garden details while we're working for you.
Photos: until you withdraw your permission.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

access the personal information we hold about you
correct it if it's wrong or incomplete
have it deleted (we may need to keep some records, such as tax records, for as long as the law requires)
object to how we use it, including follow-ups
restrict how we use it
data portability: get a copy in a common format to pass to someone else.

Some of these rights only apply in certain situations. Where we rely on your consent (for photos), you can withdraw it at any time. To use any of these rights, contact Andrew. There's no charge, and we'll reply within one month.

Complaints

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please contact Andrew first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk, phone 0303 123 1113.

Contact

Andrew McHale, McHale Gardens, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey. Email andrew@mchalegardens.com or call 07732 772050.

We'll update this notice if anything changes. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.