Cookies

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Find out what cookies are, how we use them on ipswich.gov.uk and how you can manage them.

Cookies are files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.

They're used to help a website work properly, as well as to measure how you use the site.

We use two types of cookies to store information about how you use our site.

1. Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies are essential for a website to work properly.

For example, on ipswich.gov.uk they do things like:

  • remembering your progress through a form (such as a licence application)
  • showing you information in your chosen language when you return to the site
  • maintaining basic functions, performance and security of the site

As these cookies are essential, they always need to be on.

You can turn off necessary cookies by changing your browser settings. However, this may affect how our site functions, and your experience of using it.

Necessary cookies on ipswich.gov.uk

Name Purpose Expires
CookieControl This cookie is used to remember a user's choice about cookies on a site. Where users have previously indicated a preference, that user's preference will be stored in this cookie. 90 days
SSESS* This cookie is used to remember a user's choice about the panel at the top of the homepage. Where users have previously closed the panel, that user's preference will be stored in this cookie. 23 days, 4 hours
_abck This is a third party cookie set by Mailchimp when signing up to a mailing list. 1 year
_GRECAPTCHA This is a third party cookie set by reCAPTCHA and is used for protecting forms from spam submissions. 180 days
ak_bmsc This is a third party cookie set by Mailchimp when signing up to a mailing list. 2 hours
bm_sz This is a third party cookie set by Mailchimp when signing up to a mailing list. 4 hours

2. Analytics cookies

Analytics cookies are used to measure how you use a website.

We use Google Analytics to understand how you use ipswich.gov.uk.

We do not allow these third parties to use or share the data about how you use this site.

Google Analytics set cookies that store anonymised information about things like:

  • how you got to the site
  • the pages you visit on our site
  • how long you spend on each page
  • what you click on while you're visiting the site

Some pages on ipswich.gov.uk may contain content from third-party sites like YouTube, which set their own cookies.

Analytics cookies are not essential and can be turned off. However, please be aware that this information helps us improve our site, giving you a better experience.

Analytics cookies on ipswich.gov.uk

Name Purpose Expires
_ga,
_ga_*
These cookies are set by Google Analytics. They're used to calculates visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors. 2 years
_gat_* This cookie is set by Google Analytics to limit the request rate and thus the collection of data on high traffic sites. 1 minute
_gid This cookie is set by Google Analytics. It is used to store information on how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected includes the number of visitors, where they have come from, and the pages they visit in an anonymous form. 1 day

How to change your cookie settings

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by:

  1. Clicking on the 'C' icon (bottom left corner of the screen)
  2. Adjusting the available sliders to 'On' or 'Off'
  3. Clicking 'Save and close'

You may need to refresh your page for your settings to take effect.

Alternatively, most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings.

Find out how to manage cookies on different browsers:

You can search for cookies information related to other internet browsers using a search engine, such as Google.

Further information on cookies

Cookies are regulated by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) [opens in new window].

We used cookieserve.com [opens in new window] to find information about cookies used on ipswich.gov.uk.

Please contact web.editor@ipswich.gov.uk if you have any questions about cookies on this website.

You can visit our privacy page for full details of how Ipswich Borough Council treats your personal information.