Email subscription - Privacy notices by service area

This privacy policy sets out how and why we, Hartlepool Borough Council (“HBC”) and its services, use and protect your personal information when you sign up to receive e-communications from us.

HBC is using an e-marketing platform to communicate directly with a range of external and internal stakeholders, allowing us to reach the right people at the right time.

This privacy notice applies to anyone who signs up to receive email newsletters or digital updates from Hartlepool Borough Council or its service areas.

Hartlepool Borough Council ("HBC") is the data controller for email subscriptions. Contact: Civic Centre, Victoria Road, Hartlepool, TS24 8AY. You can contact our Data Protection Officer at DataProtection@hartlepool.gov.uk

We collect your name, email address and any topic/service preferences you select. Our email platform may also capture limited technical data (e.g., IP address and device metadata) when you open or click emails.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing this information is that we need it to perform a public task (UK GDPR Art.6(1)(e)).

In some cases, where communications are not related to our public task, we will rely on consent. Where this applies, we will make this clear at the point of subscription.

HBC uses a third-party e-communication platform called e-shot (hosted by a company called Forfront) which allows us to deliver customised, accessible, interactive e-marketing. 

Having an e-marketing system allows the following benefits:

• we can communicate directly with a range of stakeholders and allows us to reach the right people at the right time
• we can send bulk emails in a compliant way with higher rates of deliverability (unsubscribe links, trusted domain)
• we can send timely, on-brand communications
• ensures e-communications are fully accessible
• produces cost-effective (relatively inexpensive) digital campaigns
• to assist with timely internal communications and internal organisational self-promotion
• we own our content, media and contact lists
• provides a mechanism to analyse and review the impact of e-marketing
• allows us to collect feedback and surveys

We use e‑shot to send emails and manage subscriptions. Forfront acts as our data processor under contract and stores data on UK‑based infrastructure. We may use additional survey/feedback tools for specific campaigns; details are provided at point of use.

We do not routinely transfer subscribers’ personal data outside the UK. If a transfer becomes necessary, we will apply UK GDPR safeguards and update this notice.

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures (e.g., access controls, encryption) and require equivalent measures from our processors. We will never sell your personal information.

We keep subscription data for up to 2 years from your last interaction (e.g., opening an email or clicking a link), after which we delete or suppress your address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Our email newsletters are not intended for children under 13. Where consent is our basis for an online service offered directly to a child, we will obtain parental consent for under‑13s and use age‑appropriate language.

You have rights including access, rectification, erasure, restriction and objection. You can object to public‑task emails (we will stop unless we have compelling grounds). For direct marketing you have an absolute right to object. You may withdraw consent at any time for consent‑based emails.

Anyone unhappy or wishing to complain about how personal data is used as part of this programme, should contact dataprotection@hartlepool.gov.uk in the first instance or write to:

Anyone who is still not satisfied can complain to the Information Commissioners Office. Their website address is www.ico.org.uk and their postal address is:

This privacy notice is kept under regular review, and new versions will be available on our privacy notice page on our website. This privacy notice is version one and was last updated on 13 January 2026.