Privacy policy

Updated 3 November 2026 · Allotment Atlas app and website

You can explore Allotment Atlas without an account. The iOS and Android apps are free, have no advertisements and include no advertising trackers.

Allotment Atlas is operated by Tony Charles Smith. For privacy questions or requests, email contact@tonycsmith.com.

What stays on your device

The native app stores your shortlist, private notebook, application progress, guide checklist, remembered public search area and unfinished forms on your device. These are not automatically uploaded or synced to us. The website stores its equivalent information in your browser. Your device or browser backup settings may make their own copies. Exported backup files can contain private notes; share them only with people or services you choose.

Optional location

“Use my location” asks for your device or browser permission when you choose it. You can decline and use town search or the map instead. The native app uses your position for nearby results, without storing a GPS history or requesting background location. Map providers receive requests for the area you view, which can be near your location.

In the website’s Add a site form, the selected pin is saved with your draft in this browser. It may start at your device location. Move it to the public allotment site or clear it before sending. Selected site coordinates are sent for review only when you submit the form.

Information you choose to send

Site suggestions and corrections send the public site details you enter, selected site coordinates, source links and notes to our review service. Optional public contact details can include email addresses, telephone numbers and addresses. Send public site information only, without personal information about plot holders.

If you choose a photo, the app prepares a smaller JPEG. It does not request access to your whole photo library, camera or microphone. A photo, optional caption and selected site identifier are uploaded only when you choose “Send for review”. Photos and site information wait for review; approved material is public. Do not include identifiable people, children, private documents or personal details in contributions. Read our contribution guidelines.

If you email support or report content, we receive the email address, message and attachments you choose to send. The app opens an email draft; it does not send it automatically.

Maps, searches and external services

Street maps use OpenFreeMap. iOS satellite imagery uses Apple MapKit; see Apple Maps and privacy. Android satellite views and site previews use the Google Maps SDK; see Google’s Privacy Policy and Maps SDK data disclosure. Google’s disclosure describes technical data including device and SDK information, IP addresses, an SDK-specific identifier, SDK crash data and map interactions used to maintain and improve its services. Website road and satellite maps use the providers credited on the map, including OpenStreetMap and Esri. Map requests reveal the viewed area and normal connection information, such as an IP address, to the provider.

Town suggestions use our bundled GeoNames index. UK postcode suggestions send the typed postcode prefix to Postcodes.io after three characters. Explicit online place lookup can send the query to OpenStreetMap’s Nominatim service. Eircode autocomplete is not provided. Operator websites, directions, email apps and share destinations have their own privacy practices.

Website analytics and technical information

The website uses PostHog’s EU service for cookieless visit, referral and app-store link-click statistics. Alongside cookieless visit and referral data, store-link events record the app, store, link position and page path; a click does not confirm an installation. It does not record sessions or automatically capture form fields. Searches, precise location, private notes and shortlist content are excluded from analytics events. The native iOS and Android apps do not include the PostHog SDK. Map and search providers may retain and analyse search requests and technical logs to operate, secure and improve their services; their policies describe these uses.

Our host and service providers process technical request information for delivery, security and troubleshooting. Our review service uses an IP-derived hash for short-term submission rate limits, along with essential session cookies to secure forms. For abuse prevention, private review records also keep a salted hash of the submitting network address. We can block further contributions from an abusive connection. These are not advertising identifiers and are never shown in the public directory. We do not sell personal data or share it with advertising networks.

Why we use information and who receives it

We use submitted information to maintain the directory, review contributions, answer support requests and protect the service. We rely on legitimate interests in those activities where appropriate, and your consent for optional publication where requested. You may withdraw consent without affecting earlier lawful processing. No automated decision determines your access to an allotment, an application or a waiting list.

We require service providers processing personal information on our behalf to protect it at least as described in this policy, restrict its use to the agreed service and apply appropriate security safeguards. Hosting, email, map and search providers process information needed for their services. Approved contributions are available to everyone. Providers may process information outside the UK or EEA under their applicable data protection arrangements. Contact us for information about relevant recipients and transfer safeguards.

How long information is kept

Local information remains until you remove it, clear app/browser storage or uninstall the app; separate backups may remain. Review submissions are kept while needed to assess a contribution, maintain its evidence or resolve a report. Approved directory content is retained while relevant to the directory. Support correspondence is retained while needed to resolve the request and related follow-up. There is no automatic expiry for all submitted content; you can request removal.

Our submission rate-limit records expire after an hour and are pruned when later submissions are processed. The private contributor hash stays with its review record under the criteria above. A hash used to block an abusive connection is retained until the block is removed. Hosting and third-party service logs follow the provider’s retention settings. Records may need to be retained longer for an active security incident, dispute or legal obligation.

Your choices and rights

Change location or photo permissions in iOS or Android Settings, or in your browser. Clear remembered areas in the app, remove saved sites or notebook entries, and protect any exported backups. There is no Allotment Atlas account to close.

You can ask to access or correct personal information, request deletion or restriction, object to processing based on legitimate interests, and request portability where applicable. Email contact@tonycsmith.com with the site, photo or receipt reference involved. We may need enough information to identify the material and verify your request. Please do not send identity documents unless specifically needed and requested securely.

You can object to our use of your personal information for legitimate interests. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office or the Irish Data Protection Commission.

Children and changes

This is a general directory, not a children’s service or social network. Do not send children’s personal information or identifiable photographs. We will update this page when our practices change and show the revision date above.