Cookie policy

1. What cookies do

Cookies are small text files stored by a browser. They can remember a session, preserve a preference or provide aggregate information about page use.

Plenius uses a restrained approach and does not use cookies to infer sensitive personal characteristics. Browser settings can delete or block them, although some functions may then behave differently.

2. Categories we may use

Strictly necessary session cookies support security and basic navigation. A session identifier may expire when the browser closes, while a consent record may remain for up to 180 days so the same choice is not repeatedly requested.

Optional analytics cookies, where enabled, help us understand page visits in aggregate. A measurement cookie may have a lifespan of up to 13 months, with shorter retention in our reporting systems. Preference cookies may last up to 12 months.

• session_id: session duration, necessary for secure interactions.
• plenius_consent: up to 180 days, records a cookie choice.
• plenius_preferences: up to 12 months, remembers display preferences.
• analytics_visit: up to 13 months where optional measurement is enabled.

3. Consent and controls

Optional cookies are used only where a visitor has a valid choice under applicable UK rules. You can change your browser settings or contact us to ask which preference is recorded.

Blocking optional cookies does not prevent access to editorial pages. Deleting a consent cookie may cause the preference notice to appear again.

4. Third-party services

Hosting, security, analytics or embedded media providers may set their own identifiers when their services are used. Their names, purposes and retention periods are described in their own notices and are reviewed when integrations change.

We do not permit third-party cookies for unrelated behavioural advertising on Plenius pages.

5. Retention and international processing

Cookie records follow the lifespans described above, while aggregated reports may be kept for up to 26 months for editorial planning. Some providers may process data outside the UK under an adequacy decision or contractual transfer safeguard.

6. Updates

This notice was reviewed on 5 October 2026. Changes to cookie names, providers or purposes will be reflected here, with the review date updated after publication.

7. Contact

For questions, contact Plenius at 78 High Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1DE, United Kingdom, or +44 131 496 0743. We aim to acknowledge enquiries within five working days.

A session cookie is normally created only when a feature requires continuity between requests, such as a protected form or consent interaction. It is not intended to identify a reader by name and ordinarily expires when the browser session ends. The consent record may remain for up to 180 days so that a visitor is not repeatedly asked the same question.

Where optional measurement is enabled, the analytics_visit cookie may remain for up to 13 months, while aggregated reports are normally retained for up to 25 months before automatic deletion or anonymisation. Preference information may remain for up to 12 months and can include settings such as a display choice. These periods are maximum operational lifespans rather than a promise that every browser will preserve the value for that long.

Cookies may be set by Plenius or by a carefully configured service provider acting on its behalf. Providers can include the hosting platform, consent-management service, security layer and aggregate analytics provider. Third-party cookies are not treated as permission to create unrelated advertising profiles, and optional technologies are disabled where the required consent is not provided.

You can inspect, delete or block cookies through the privacy and security controls in your browser. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may affect form security or consent storage, while blocking preference or analytics cookies should not prevent ordinary reading. If a browser is shared, clearing cookies may also remove choices made by another person using the same device.

For questions about cookie use, contact Plenius at 78 High Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1DE, United Kingdom, or call +44 131 496 0743. We aim to respond within one calendar month where the question concerns personal data. This notice was reviewed on 5 October 2026 and may be updated when browser standards, providers or UK privacy guidance changes.