Cookie Policy. Small files, clear choices.

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text records placed in a browser by a website. Similar technologies can remember a setting or help a service understand broad page use. Drenval uses the minimum needed for the public editorial site.

a) Some technologies described in this policy are, strictly speaking, browser storage mechanisms rather than traditional cookie files, but they are grouped together here because they serve a similar function and because most readers use the term cookie loosely to describe both. b) A cookie or similar record can be first-party, meaning it is set directly by drenval.info, or third-party, meaning it is set by an embedded service such as a map; both types are covered by this policy where they are used on this website. c) None of the technologies described below are used to build a cross-site advertising profile of an individual visitor, since this website does not run personalised advertising. d) This policy is written to comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) as enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which sit alongside UK GDPR and specifically govern the use of cookies and similar technologies.

2. Essential preference

Our banner stores cookieChoice in local browser storage when a visitor selects Accept All or Reject. It normally remains for 12 months unless cleared earlier. This record does not contain a name or email address.

a) The cookieChoice value can be Accept All or Reject, and determines whether optional analytics, described in section 4, are permitted to run on subsequent page views. b) If a visitor clears their browser storage or switches to a different browser or device, the choice is not automatically carried over, and the banner will appear again so the visitor can make a fresh decision. c) The 12-month lifespan for this preference is a common default that balances not repeatedly interrupting a returning reader against periodically reconfirming consent. d) The cookieChoice record is stored under the key name cookieChoice in the browser's local storage rather than as a classic HTTP cookie, though it performs an equivalent function and is disclosed here for that reason.

3. Session operation

Essential session records, where used by hosting or security services, expire when the browser session ends or within 24 hours. They help the site respond consistently and identify abusive request patterns.

a) These records typically take the form of a short-lived identifier used by the hosting or security layer to distinguish one visitor's requests from another's during a single visit, rather than to identify the visitor personally. b) They are considered strictly necessary because, without them, some security protections and basic site functionality could not operate reliably. c) Because they expire automatically at the end of a browsing session or within 24 hours at most, they do not require separate consent under UK cookie rules, though they are listed here for transparency. d) Examples of this strictly necessary category include a load-balancing identifier used by the hosting provider and a short-lived record used to detect an unusually high rate of requests from a single source.

4. Analytics

Optional analytics may use aggregated measurements such as page views and referrer type. Where enabled, measurement records are configured for a maximum lifespan of 13 months. Visitors may refuse optional measurement without losing access to articles.

a) Where enabled, analytics measurements are configured to avoid collecting full IP addresses or other directly identifying detail, focusing instead on aggregated patterns such as which articles are most viewed in a given period. b) A visitor who selects Reject in the cookie banner will not have optional analytics records set, and can continue to read every article without restriction. c) The 13-month maximum lifespan reflects common guidance from data protection regulators for non-essential measurement cookies, after which a fresh record would only be created if the visitor returns and again does not opt out. d) Where analytics is active, the measurement identifier is typically named in the form _dv_stat or similar and is scoped to the drenval.info domain only, meaning it is not shared with or readable by unrelated websites.

5. Preferences

Preference records remember choices such as consent status. They do not personalise advertising on Drenval. A visitor can clear browser storage through browser settings, after which the banner may appear again.

a) In addition to the cookieChoice consent record, a small number of interface preferences, such as whether a notice has already been dismissed, may be stored locally to avoid repeating the same message on every page. b) These preference records are read only by this website and are not shared with any third party. c) Clearing browser storage removes all locally stored preferences at once; there is no way to selectively clear only one preference category through the cookie banner itself, though most browsers allow this through their own site-data settings. d) No preference record is used to reconstruct a reading history across unrelated websites, and none is combined with information from a third-party data broker.

6. Third parties

Embedded services, such as the map on the contact page, may set their own technologies when loaded. Those services publish separate notices. Drenval does not control records created by an external provider.

a) The map embed used on the Contact page may set its own cookies or similar technologies once loaded, governed by that provider's own privacy and cookie notices rather than by this policy. b) Where a future article embeds a video or another interactive element from a third-party platform, that platform's own technologies would apply in the same way, and this policy will be updated to reflect any new category introduced. c) Readers who prefer not to load third-party embeds can typically still read the surrounding article text, since embedded elements are supplementary rather than essential to the core content. d) The current third-party embed used on the Contact page is provided by Google Maps; readers wishing to review that provider's own approach to cookies can consult Google's published privacy and cookie information directly.

7. Browser controls

Most browsers allow visitors to block, delete or inspect cookies. Blocking essential records can change how preferences behave, while refusing optional records should not prevent article access.

a) Most modern browsers provide a padlock or site-information icon in the address bar that allows a visitor to view and clear cookies for the current site without affecting other websites. b) Browser extensions that block trackers or scripts may also prevent some third-party embeds, such as the contact page map, from loading correctly. c) Disabling cookies entirely at the browser level, rather than just through this website's banner, may affect other websites a visitor uses, so adjusting settings on a per-site basis is often more practical. d) Guidance on managing cookies in specific browsers is published by the browser makers themselves and by the ICO, and is a more reliable ongoing reference than any single website's own instructions.

8. Contact

Questions about cookies can be sent to [email protected] or 18 Scrutton Street, London EC2A 1NT. Include the page and browser involved if reporting an unexpected banner.

a) When reporting an unexpected cookie banner behaviour, it is helpful to note the approximate date and time, the browser and device used, and whether any browser extensions were active, since these details speed up assessment. b) General questions about how a specific category of cookie is used can also be directed to the same email address. c) Postal correspondence is handled more slowly than email, so a reader with an urgent query is encouraged to use [email protected] in the first instance. d) We aim to acknowledge a cookie-related enquiry within five working days, in line with the response times described in the Privacy Policy and on the Contact page.

9. Retention

Preference records are limited to 12 months. Optional measurement records are limited to 13 months. Correspondence about cookies is retained for up to 24 months after closure.

a) These retention periods are reviewed periodically alongside the Privacy Policy to confirm they remain proportionate to the purpose for which each record is kept. b) Where a browser is used only once and never returns, no meaningful retention period applies in practice, since no persistent record is created beyond the current session. c) If a retention period is shortened or lengthened in a future update to this policy, the revised period will apply going forward and will be reflected in the date shown in section 10. d) A summary retention table is available on request from [email protected] for readers who need it for their own compliance records, such as a school, employer or organisation reviewing external resources.

10. Changes

This page was reviewed on 24 September 2026. Future changes will show a new date and explain any new category or provider.

a) Where a new cookie category or third-party provider is introduced, for example if analytics is enabled for the first time, this page will be updated before the change takes effect, and returning visitors may see a fresh consent banner. b) We encourage readers who rely on this policy for their own reference to check the date shown here periodically, particularly before citing it elsewhere. c) A record of prior versions can be requested from [email protected] for readers who need to compare an earlier policy against the current one. d) Previous review dates for this page include 12 March 2026 and 3 June 2026, when the analytics and third-party sections were last confirmed as accurate, before the most recent review on 24 September 2026.