How we use cookies
Torfaen County Borough Council uses cookies to personalise user experience on the website, and to track how our site is being used. Here you can find out more about how we use them.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small, harmless files placed on your computer’s hard drive or in your browser memory when you visit a website
What do cookies do?
Cookies help to make the interaction between users and websites faster and easier. What cookies don't do is store any personal or confidential information about you.
Are cookies safe?
Yes, cookies are harmless text files. They can’t look into your computer or read any personal information or other material on your hard drive. Cookies can’t carry viruses or install anything harmful on your computer.
Why should I keep cookies switched on?
We advise you to keep cookies active during your visits to our website because parts of the site rely on them to work properly.
Types of cookie we use
Like most large websites, Torfaen County Borough Council uses session cookies and persistent cookies. Neither session cookies nor persistent cookies collect any personally identifiable information.
Session cookies
We use session cookies, which last only for the duration of your visit (your 'session') and are deleted when you close your browser. These simply enable us to identify that the same person is moving from page to page.
Persistent cookies
We also use certain cookies that are persistent, meaning that they last beyond your session. Persistent cookies help our website remember you as a user each time you use the same computer to revisit us.
Cookies currently used
This website uses cookies in several places – we’ve listed each of them below along with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.
Content Management System
Cookies used by the Content Management System
| Name | Typical Content | Expires |
|---|
|
CMSFontSizeCookie
|
Stores your current font size selection
|
12 months
|
|
csession
|
Randomly generated session ID
|
When the user exits the browser
|
|
ASP.NET_SessionId
|
Randomly generated session ID
|
When the user exits the browser
|
User Preferences
These cookies are set by the user. They typically include when you are asked to make a choice such as "remind me later". These type of cookies are used to remember your choice.
Cookies that are set by the user
| Name | Typical Content | Expires |
|---|
|
redirect1 or redirect2
|
Location or English or Welsh homepage
|
30 days after the user has chosen their preference from the intro page
|
| hasConsent |
Site cookies accepted from the banner |
12 months |
|
t
|
-1
|
Stored in Local Storage, never deleted
|
|
UKTORFAEN_subscribe_overlay
|
1 (Set when you choose "No Thanks" on the Gov Delivery popup)
|
Stored in Local Storage, never deleted
|
|
UKTORFAEN_subscribe_overlay
|
Timestamp number (Set when you choose "Remind me Later" on the Gov Delivery popup)
|
Stored in Local Storage, updated based on users choice after 30 days
|
Council Advertising Network
The adverts on our website are provided by the Council Advertising Network. View the Council Advertising Network Privacy Policy for information on what data they collect and how to opt-out.
Get Involved (Consultation Software)
https://getinvolved.torfaen.gov.uk uses essential cookies in some places – we've listed each of them explicitly in a table below with more details about why we use them and how long they will last.
These essential cookies are used for site navigation and session management, and this service may not function correctly without them. They are used only to help you navigate through the site and to view and fill in consultations.
Get Involved (Consultation Software) Cookies
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|
| consultation_id |
Associates answers with a single response across multi-page consultations (online surveys). One cookie per consultation. Cleared when the user submits the consultation |
48 hours after the last page submission |
| tr_embed_auto_load |
Stores the user's preference for automatically loading embedded content. |
End of the session |
| server_id |
Used for load balancing |
End of the session |
| session |
Used for protection against cross site request forgery attacks |
48 hours after the last page submission |
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics cookies to collect information about how visitors use this site and when issues are encountered (such as broken links). Google analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you were on the site, how you got here and what you click on. We do not store your personal information so this information cannot be used to identify who you are. We do not allow Google to use or share our data.
We use Google Analytics to make sure our website is meeting our users’ needs and to help prioritise improvements. Google provides more details on the Google privacy and cookie policy page. Google also provides a browser add-on which allows you to opt out of Google Analytics across all websites.
Cookies used by Google Analytics
| Name | Typical Content | Expires |
|---|
|
_utma
|
randomly generated number
|
2 years
|
|
_utmb
|
randomly generated number
|
30 minutes
|
|
_utmc
|
randomly generated number
|
When you close your browser
|
|
_utmz
|
randomly generated number and information on how the site was reached (e.g. direct or via a link, organic search or paid search)
|
6 months
|
Library Catalogue
Cookies used by the Library Catalogue
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
Session
|
Providing core application functionality to the end user. This session cookie falls into the exception section of the directive
|
End of session
|
ReciteMe (web accessibility) Toolbar
Cookies used in the ReciteMe (web accessibility) Toolbar
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
Recite.Persist
|
Allows the toolbar to remain on the screen across the site until closed
|
Clears when browser completely exits
|
|
Recite_Session
|
Validates the user when requesting to run the toolbar from the host. No personal data is transferred
|
End of the session
|
Request/Report It Forms
Cookies used on the Request/Report It Forms
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
iTVBrowserUID
|
Does not store any personal information. Allows the app to run
|
6 months
|
Online Mapping System
Cookies used on the Online Mapping System
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
JSESSIONID
|
Does not store any personal information. Allows the app to run
|
End of session
|
Civica E-Pay
Cookies used on Civica E-Pay
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
BIGpServerPOOL
|
A necessary cookie that manages the server load for the site
|
End of session
|
Planning & Building Control Public Access Service
Cookies used on the Planning & Building Control Public Access Service
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|
|
WSLang-TCB001
|
Saves the language of the page
|
Never
|
Turning cookies on or off
You have a number of options when it comes to receiving cookies. You can set your browser either to reject all cookies, to allow only ‘trusted’ sites to send them, or to accept only those cookies from websites you are currently using.
We recommend that you don’t block all cookies because parts of our website rely on them to work properly.
To find out how to turn cookies on and off in your browser, select your browser below:
To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.aboutcookies.org
Last Modified: 16/09/2020
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