Councils use drones to stop staff being attacked in planning rows
A COUNCIL has defended its use of drones to snoop on planning disputes, claiming they stop staff being attacked by angry homeowners.
Documents from Wealden district council in Sussex, seen by The Daily Telegraph, argue that drones benefit residents by removing “unnecessary stress”, because they are unaware they are being investigated.
The findings come as it emerged that councils also use drones for a variety of functions from finding illegal motorbike scramblers to taking aerial photographs at weddings.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance warned that while drones may help councils make savings, they must not use them to ride roughshod over residents’ privacy.
John O’connell, the Taxpayers’ Alliance chief executive, said: “Most Brits would be uncomfortable at the thought of their local council spying on their backyard without their knowledge.
“It’s really important that local councils use new technologies to improve services and save money whilst also respecting the privacy of local residents.”
Twenty-four councils have been granted commercial licences to fly drones by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Wealden council confirmed yesterday that it used drones to photograph properties being investigated for planning breaches, as well as for inspecting general planning application sites and filming promotional videos.
Explaining the benefits, the council’s drone policy says: “This will greatly reduce the risk to staff when dealing with confrontational individuals and will allow officers to make better informed decisions on how to proceed with their cases.” It adds that drones also mean “site inspections could be carried out without the alleged contraveners being aware”.
The council said the use of drones allowed it to inspect sites without a warrant and that its officers sought permission from neighbours to fly the devices from their land. It added that its drones never flew into the suspected property’s airspace.
North West Leicestershire district council also confirmed that it used drones to investigate planning and tree protection breaches, as well as locating fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles.
Brent council, in north London, offers aerial photography to couples getting married at its civic centre.
Others such as Barnsley borough council use drones to scan for off-road motorcyclists, whereas Torridge district council in Devon said it used the devices to survey coastal erosion.