Cookie Policy

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1. What Are Cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that is downloaded onto your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. Cookies allow the website to recognise your device on subsequent visits and to store certain information about your preferences or past actions on the site.

Cookies and similar technologies, including tracking pixels, web storage, and device fingerprinting, are regulated in the United Kingdom by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA 2025), alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Vale and Mercer Ltd is committed to full compliance with these laws and to being transparent about every cookie or similar technology used on this website.

2. Who We Are

3. The Legal Framework: What the Law Requires

Under Regulation 6 of PECR, Vale and Mercer Ltd must:

1. Tell you that cookies are present on this website
2. Explain clearly what each cookie does and why
3. Obtain your prior consent before setting any cookie that is not strictly necessary for the website to function

The DUAA 2025, which came into force on 5 February 2026, introduced a limited exemption for qualifying first-party analytics cookies. Where Vale and Mercer Ltd rely on this exemption, it is stated explicitly in the cookie table below. Where it does not apply, in particular for all advertising and marketing cookies, explicit prior consent is mandatory, and no cookie is set until that consent is given.

Consent must be:

• Freely given: not pre-ticked, not bundled with Terms and Conditions, and with no service withheld if you decline
• Specific: given for each non-essential cookie category separately
• Informed: this Cookie Policy constitutes the required information
• Unambiguous: a clear positive action (clicking "Accept Analytics" or "Accept Marketing" on the banner)
• As easy to withdraw as to give: via the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of every page

4. Cookies Used on This Website

The cookies on the Vale and Mercer Ltd website fall into four categories. Only strictly necessary cookies are set without prior consent.

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for this website to function. They cannot be disabled. No consent is required. Blocking these cookies will prevent the website from working correctly.

Vercel Note: Vale and Mercer Ltd's website is built and hosted using Vercel. As the infrastructure provider, Vercel may set technical cookies to deliver the website. Vercel operates as a data processor under a signed Data Processing Agreement. See vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy for Vercel's own data practices.

4.2 Analytics Cookies

These cookies help Vale and Mercer Ltd understand how visitors use this website, for example, which pages are most visited, how long visitors stay, and whether they encountered any errors. This information is used solely to improve the website and the quality of service provided. It is never sold or shared with third parties for their own purposes.

DUAA 2025 Position: Vale and Mercer Ltd configure Google Analytics 4 to seek qualification for the DUAA 2025 analytics cookie exemption (Google Signals disabled, no cross-site tracking, no third-party data sharing, IP anonymisation enabled, minimum data retention). However, as the ICO has not yet issued finalised guidance for small businesses on this exemption, Vale and Mercer Ltd adopts the cautious approach and continues to obtain consent via the cookie banner as an additional compliance safeguard.

If the law changes or ICO guidance confirms a broader exemption, this policy will be updated and, where appropriate, non-essential analytics cookies may be placed without consent strictly in line with that guidance.

4.3 Advertising and Marketing Cookies

Vale and Mercer Ltd uses the Meta Pixel on this website to measure the results of its advertising and to show relevant Vale and Mercer Ltd advertisements to people who have visited this website when they use Facebook and Instagram ("remarketing"). If Vale and Mercer Ltd runs Google Ads campaigns, the Google cookies listed below are used for the same purposes on Google's advertising network.

These cookies are set only if you click "Accept Marketing" on the cookie consent banner. They are blocked by default. You may withdraw consent at any time via "Cookie Settings" in the footer.

What the Google advertising cookies do NOT collect: They do not collect your name, email address, telephone number, postal address, property search history, or financial information. The identifiers they use are pseudonymous and linked to your browser or device, not to your identity, unless you have separately signed into a Google account. The Meta Pixel works differently. It records the pages you view and the actions you take on this website, such as submitting an enquiry form, and sends this to Meta with your browser identifier and IP address. If you are logged in to Facebook or Instagram, Meta may link this data to your account. Meta acts as a joint controller with us for this data.

Your right to opt out of Google's advertising personalisation entirely (across all websites, not just this one) can be exercised at myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy, then select "Ad settings."

4.4 Functionality Cookies

Current status: No functionality cookies beyond the consent preference cookie (Section 4.1) are currently in use. This section will be updated if functionality cookies are introduced. Any future functionality cookies will be listed in an updated version of this policy and, where required by law, will only be set after you have given consent.

5. Cookies Set by Third Parties

Some cookies are set by third-party organisations whose services are integrated into this website. Vale and Mercer Ltd does not control these third parties' broader cookie practices. The relevant third parties are:

6. How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences

Via the Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit the Vale and Mercer Ltd website, a cookie consent banner will be displayed. You can accept or decline each category of non-essential cookie separately. You can change your preferences at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of every page on this website.

Via Your Browser Settings

You can manage or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. See your browser's help documentation for instructions.

Deleting cookies will remove your stored consent preferences: the cookie consent banner will reappear on your next visit.

Opting Out of Google Analytics

Install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on (free, provided by Google): tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. This prevents your visits from being included in Google Analytics data across all websites that use GA.

Opting Out of Google Advertising Personalisation

Visit myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy and select "Ad settings" to turn off personalised advertising across Google's entire network, not just this website.

Opting Out of Meta Advertising Personalisation

Visit facebook.com/adpreferences and review your ad settings, or use the ad preferences in your Facebook or Instagram account to limit how Meta uses your activity for advertising. This applies across Meta's services, not just this website.

7. Consent Record and Withdrawal

Vale and Mercer Ltd records your cookie consent choice via the cookie_consent cookie. This ensures you are not asked again on every visit.

To withdraw consent at any time:

• Click "Cookie Settings" in the footer and change your preferences: non-essential cookies will be deactivated immediately, or
• Clear all cookies in your browser settings, or
• Email privacy@valeandmercer.co.uk and we will arrange removal.

Withdrawing cookie consent does not affect any prior processing carried out while consent was in place.

8. International Data Transfers

Google Analytics data (and Google Ads data, if activated) is processed by Google LLC, which is based in the United States of America. This transfer takes place under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with a UK Addendum approved by the Information Commissioner's Office, in accordance with UK GDPR Article 46(2)(c).

Vercel Inc and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (together with its United States group companies) may also process data in the United States, under equivalent approved transfer safeguards, including the UK-US data bridge where the recipient is certified.

No other cookie-related personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom.

9. Changes to This Cookie Policy

Vale and Mercer Ltd will update this Cookie Policy before:

• Any new cookie or tracking technology is added to the website
• The purpose or duration of an existing cookie changes
• A new advertising campaign is launched, or a new advertising tool, cookie or pixel is added
• The law changes (including further ICO guidance under the DUAA 2025)

The version number and date at the top of this policy show when it was last updated. Where changes are material (e.g. a new category of cookie is added), the cookie consent banner will re-appear on your next visit to request updated consent.

10. Contact and Complaints

Data Protection enquiries and cookie questions:
Email: privacy@valeandmercer.co.uk

Right to complain to the ICO:

If you believe Vale and Mercer Ltd has not handled your cookie data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office:

Vale and Mercer Ltd, Registered in England and Wales

Company Registration No: 17212434 | ICO Registration No: ZC155397

Document Reference: VM-CP-001 | Version 1.2 | October 2026

Legal basis: PECR 2003 (as amended), Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a), DPA 2018