Privacy Policy

This policy explains what personal information our websites collect, why we use it, who receives it and what rights you have. Last updated: 21 October 2026.

Who we are

Our websites are run by Hill Development, trading as Hill Development Inc., a design-build construction group based in Hargeisa, Somaliland. We run them for ourselves and for our companies: Somdesign Architects (architecture), Universal Windows & Doors (aluminum windows, doors and curtain walls) and Hill Consultancy (supervision of large construction projects for clients). In this policy, "we", "us" and "our" mean Hill Development.

Hill Development is the controller of the personal information described in this policy, which means we decide how and why it is used. If you have a question about this policy, or want to use one of your rights, email info@hilldevelopment.io.

What this policy covers

This policy covers our websites: hilldevelopment.io, somdesignarchitects.com, universalwindows.io and hillconsultancy.io. "This website" means whichever of them you are using. The policy applies to the information you send us through this website, by form, on WhatsApp or by email, and to the technical information collected when you visit.

It does not cover other websites or services that our websites link to, such as WhatsApp, social media services and Google Maps. Other companies run them under their own terms and privacy policies. Our Terms of Use set out the rules for using our websites.

What we collect and why

You choose what you send us. You do not have to use a form: you can also phone us, write to us on WhatsApp or email us. Without a name and a way to reach you, we cannot answer a request.

Site-visit request form. The form on the home page asks for:

Quote request form. The form on the Universal Windows & Doors website asks for your full name, your phone or WhatsApp number, your city, the product, the number of openings, approximate sizes and a message.

We use these details to answer your request, arrange a site visit and prepare a quote. Your message and the plot location may contain personal information, so please do not include sensitive details such as health or financial information.

How the forms work. Both forms send your request through our own form service. The service checks it for spam, then emails it to info@hilldevelopment.io through Resend, our email delivery provider. The form service does not store your message. Its logs hold only a request number, the form type and an outcome code. Your request then sits in our office email, which is hosted by Google Workspace.

Spam checks. Each form uses Cloudflare Turnstile to tell people from automated programs. The check runs in your browser. Cloudflare receives technical information, such as your IP address and browser details, and Cloudflare's own privacy terms apply to it. Each form also has a hidden field that people never see. Automated programs tend to fill it in, which shows that a post is spam. The form service also counts posts per IP address, briefly and in memory only, so that it can refuse floods of requests.

WhatsApp. The WhatsApp button and chat panel open WhatsApp, a Meta service, in a new tab with a pre-filled message to +252 63 4428686. Nothing is sent until you press send. WhatsApp's own terms and privacy policy apply to what you write there. When you write to us, we see your phone number and your message.

Email. If you email us, we see your email address and your message.

Visit counts. We use Umami to count visits and pages. It runs on our own server at analytics.hilldevelopment.io, sets no cookies and collects no personal data. Besides visits and pages, it counts these events: form sends, WhatsApp opens and WhatsApp sends.

Fonts. Some pages load fonts from Google Fonts. When they do, your browser contacts Google, which can see your IP address.

Server logs. Our web server and hosting software keep technical logs to keep our websites secure and working. The logs hold your IP address, the date and time, the page requested and your browser type.

Our legal bases

If the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) or the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) applies to you, we rely on these legal bases:

Who receives your information

Umami runs on our own server and holds no personal data, so it is not a recipient. We may also disclose information where the law requires it, or where we need to do so to protect our legal rights.

Transfers outside your country

Our office is in Somaliland, outside the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA). If you are in the UK or the EU and you send us a site-visit request, a quote request or another enquiry, you are asking us to take steps before a contract. Your information reaches us in Somaliland for that purpose, and data protection law allows the transfer on that basis.

Our service providers, Resend, Cloudflare, Google and Meta, may process information outside the UK and the EEA. They do so under their own transfer safeguards, and their own terms and privacy policies apply.

How long we keep it

We may keep information for longer where the law requires it, or where we need it to deal with a legal claim. If your enquiry leads to a contract with us, we may keep the related information in our project and accounting records for as long as the contract and the law require. Resend, Cloudflare, Google and Meta keep the information they receive under their own policies.

Cookies and browser storage

This website sets no advertising cookies and no analytics cookies. By purpose:

You can block or delete cookies and browser storage in your browser settings. If you block the storage the spam check uses, the check may not work. You can then contact us by phone, WhatsApp or email instead.

Pictures

Every public project picture on our websites carries the Hill Development logo as a watermark and copyright metadata. We show project pictures with the client's permission and remove them on request. If you appear in a picture, or you own a property shown in one, you can ask us to remove it. Email info@hilldevelopment.io and tell us which picture you mean.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR you have the right to:

These rights have conditions and exceptions set by law. To use any of them, email info@hilldevelopment.io. We reply within one month of receiving your request. We may ask you to confirm who you are before we act on it. We do not charge a fee unless the law allows one, for example for a request that is clearly unfounded or excessive.

If you live outside the UK and the EU, you can write to us in the same way, and we will deal with your request under the law that applies to you.

Complaints

If you are not happy with how we have handled your information, please tell us at info@hilldevelopment.io. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office, or to a supervisory authority in the EU, such as the one in the country where you live or work.

Automated decisions

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that has legal or similarly significant effects on you. The spam check described above is an automated test of whether a form post comes from a person or from a bot. If it blocks you by mistake, contact us by phone, WhatsApp or email.

Children

Our websites are not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information. They include the spam and flood checks on our forms, and the fact that our form service does not store your message. No method of sending or storing information is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We do not sell your data

We do not sell personal data.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed. If we make a significant change, we will say so on this page.

Governing law

This policy is governed by the laws of Somaliland. This does not take away any rights you have under data protection law where you live.

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