Privacy Notice
Last updated: September 2026
Connor Ferris Architects Limited respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you contact us, use our website or engage us to provide architectural and related professional services.
1. Who We Are
Connor Ferris Architects Limited is an architectural practice registered in England and Wales.
Connor Ferris Architects Limited
Company No. 17106808
Registered Office: 8 Birdie Close, Chelmsford Garden, Chelmsford, England, CM3 3FW
VAT Registration No. GB 511 1132 64
For questions about this Privacy Notice or how we use your personal information, please contact:
Email: connor@connorferrisarchitects.co.uk
For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, Connor Ferris Architects Limited is the data controller in relation to the personal information covered by this notice.
2. Information We Collect
Depending on your relationship with us, we may collect and process information including:
- your name, address, telephone number and email address;
- property and project addresses;
- information you provide when making an enquiry;
- information contained within project briefs, contracts and correspondence;
- drawings, photographs, surveys and other information relating to a property or project;
- information relating to planning, Building Regulations and other statutory applications;
- records of meetings, telephone calls and project communications;
- information concerning consultants, contractors and other professionals involved in a project;
- invoicing, payment and transaction information;
- complaints and other correspondence relating to our professional services; and
- technical information generated when you use our website, such as IP address, browser/device information and cookie information.
We generally obtain personal information directly from you. We may also receive information from other people involved in a project, publicly accessible records, local authorities, planning portals, consultants, contractors, estate agents or other relevant third parties.
3. How We Use Your Information
We may use your personal information to:
- respond to enquiries and prepare fee proposals;
- take steps before entering into a professional services contract;
- enter into and administer our contracts with clients;
- provide architectural and related professional services;
- prepare drawings, designs, specifications and other project documentation;
- communicate with clients and other members of the project team;
- make and manage planning, Building Regulations and other applications or submissions;
- coordinate with consultants, contractors, local authorities, building control bodies and other relevant organisations;
- issue and administer invoices and payments;
- maintain appropriate professional and project records;
- comply with legal, regulatory, professional and insurance requirements;
- establish, exercise or defend legal or professional claims;
- deal with complaints and disputes;
- manage and protect our business and website; and
- improve our services and website.
4. Our Lawful Bases for Using Personal Information
Under UK data protection legislation, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending upon the circumstances, we may rely upon:
Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including responding to requests for quotations or professional services before entering into a contract.
Legal obligation – where processing is necessary for us to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business and professional interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests. These interests may include operating and administering our architectural practice, maintaining project and professional records, managing our business relationships, protecting our business, dealing with professional claims or complaints and improving our services.
Consent – where we specifically ask for your consent for a particular use of your information. Where we rely upon consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
The appropriate lawful basis depends upon the particular information and reason for which it is being processed. The ICO confirms that contractual processing can include information required to provide a quotation or take other requested steps before entering into a contract.
5. Who We May Share Your Information With
Where reasonably necessary for a project or the operation of our business, we may share relevant personal information with:
- architects, architectural designers and other members of our team;
- structural engineers and other specialist consultants;
- contractors and subcontractors;
- local planning authorities and other statutory authorities;
- building control bodies and approved inspectors;
- utility providers and other organisations relevant to a project;
- professional advisers, including accountants, solicitors and other advisers;
- our professional indemnity insurers, insurance brokers and their appointed advisers;
- IT, website, cloud-storage and other service providers acting on our behalf; and
- regulatory, professional or public authorities where required or appropriate.
We will only share information where there is an appropriate reason to do so and will seek to limit information shared to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
Some information submitted as part of a planning or other statutory application may become publicly accessible through the relevant authority or public register.
6. Technology and Service Providers
We use trusted third-party technology and service providers to support the operation of our business, website, email communications and storage of project information.
These include GoDaddy, which provides website hosting and associated technology services, and Microsoft 365, provided through GoDaddy, which we use for business email, communications and secure cloud-based file storage, including OneDrive.
Our website is operated using WordPress and Elementor.
These service providers may process limited personal information on our behalf where necessary to provide their services.
Some service providers may process or store information outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards will be used where required under applicable UK data protection legislation.
7. How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to satisfy applicable legal, regulatory, professional, contractual and insurance requirements.
For architectural projects, certain project records may need to be retained for an extended period after our services have concluded because of contractual limitation periods, professional obligations and potential professional indemnity insurance requirements.
When determining an appropriate retention period, we consider the nature of the information, the nature and duration of our professional appointment, applicable legal limitation periods and any requirements imposed by our professional indemnity insurers or regulatory obligations.
Information that is no longer reasonably required will be securely deleted or disposed of where appropriate.
The ICO permits organisations to describe the criteria used to determine retention where a single specific retention period is not appropriate.
8. How We Protect Your Information
We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.
Access to personal information is restricted to those who reasonably require it for legitimate business or professional purposes.
9. Cookies and Website Information
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable the website to function, understand how visitors use it and, where applicable, provide analytics or other functionality.
Some cookies are necessary for the operation of the website. Where required by law, non-essential cookies will only be used with your consent.
You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie controls provided on our website.
10. Marketing
We may occasionally communicate with existing or prospective clients and professional contacts about our services where we have an appropriate lawful basis to do so.
Where consent is required for electronic marketing, we will obtain it before sending such communications.
You can ask us to stop sending marketing communications at any time.
11. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending upon the circumstances and the lawful basis on which we process your information, you may have rights including the right to:
- request access to personal information we hold about you;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances;
- request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;
- object to certain processing;
- request transfer of your information in certain circumstances; and
- withdraw consent where processing is based upon consent.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exemptions or limitations under data protection legislation.
You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests in certain circumstances.
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at connor@connorferrisarchitects.co.uk.
The rights available depend partly upon the lawful basis used for the particular processing, which is why they should not be presented as unconditional rights in the notice.
12. Complaints About Your Personal Information
If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance so that we have an opportunity to address your concerns.
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.
Information Commissioner’s Office
13. Changes to This Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to our business, professional services, website or legal and regulatory requirements.
The current version will be published on our website and the date at the top of this notice will indicate when it was last updated.