Last updated: 22 August 2026
Who we are
This website is operated by The Cowran Group, an independent railway heritage campaign concerned with Cowran Bridge, Cowran Cutting and Skellion Bridge.
Our website address is https://thecowrangroup.co.uk.
For privacy or data-protection enquiries, contact save@thecowrangroup.co.uk.
Information we may collect
The website is primarily an information and campaigning site. Visitors do not need to create an account or provide personal information simply to read its public pages.
Correspondence
If you contact The Cowran Group by email, we may retain your name, email address and the contents of your message so that we can respond and, where appropriate, maintain a record of correspondence relating to the campaign.
We process this information where necessary for our legitimate interests in communicating with supporters, members of the public, public bodies and other organisations and in administering the campaign. We may also retain or disclose information where required by law or where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
Website hosting, security and statistics
This website is hosted using IONOS services. As part of providing, securing and analysing the hosting service, technical information may be processed, including the page or file requested, referring website, browser and browser version, operating system, device type, time of access and an IP address.
IONOS states that information collected through its Web Hosting products is anonymised as it is collected. It also states that SiteAnalytics tracking and logging are enabled by default, that the visitor’s IP address is anonymised directly after transmission, and that SiteAnalytics does not use cookies. The resulting information is used for statistical evaluation, technical operation and optimisation of the website.
Our legitimate interests in this processing are the secure, reliable and effective operation of the website and understanding its overall use.
Cookies
Public visitors are not asked to accept analytics cookies for IONOS SiteAnalytics because IONOS states that the service does not use cookies.
WordPress uses cookies for administrative functions such as signing in to and managing the website. These cookies are principally relevant to authorised site administrators and may store login or display preferences.
If the site later introduces functionality that requires non-essential cookies or consent, this policy and any appropriate cookie controls will be updated.
External websites and embedded content
The Cowran Group website contains links to websites operated by other organisations. Following one of those links takes you to a service controlled by that organisation, and its collection and use of personal information is governed by its own privacy information.
If material from another website is embedded directly within a Cowran Group page, such as a video, map or other externally hosted item, that service may receive technical information about your visit and may use cookies or similar technologies. Where practicable, the site will favour ordinary links over unnecessary third-party embedded services.
Who may receive your information
Personal information may be processed by organisations providing services necessary to operate the website, including hosting and technical service providers. Information may also be disclosed where required by law or where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
We do not sell personal information. We do not publish private correspondence or personal contact details without an appropriate reason or permission.
Where a service provider processes personal information outside the United Kingdom, the processing must be subject to the safeguards required by applicable data-protection law.
How long we keep information
Correspondence is retained only for as long as it remains reasonably useful for the purpose for which it was received, including maintaining an appropriate campaign record, dealing with continuing matters or meeting legal requirements.
Technical and security records are retained according to the operational and security requirements of the services used to host and maintain the website. Information that is no longer required will be deleted or anonymised where reasonably practicable.
Security
Reasonable steps are taken to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, but access to the administrative areas of the site and associated accounts is restricted.
Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis for processing, UK data-protection law may give you rights to ask what personal information we hold about you, obtain a copy of it, ask for inaccurate information to be corrected, ask for information to be deleted in appropriate circumstances, restrict certain processing, or object to certain uses of your information.
If we rely on consent for a particular use of personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
To exercise a right or raise a privacy concern, email save@thecowrangroup.co.uk.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are dissatisfied with the way your personal information has been handled.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated if the website, the services it uses or applicable data-protection requirements change. The date at the top of the page shows when it was last revised.