Issue - meetings

Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA) / Drone use is growing at a rapid rate in the UK. Drone usage will provide a safer option for certain work streams and this Policy sets out the controls required to implement Drones and their use for Council activities.

The Leader of the Council entered the Chamber.

The Small Unmanned Aircraft (Drone) Policy was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing.

The objective of the policy was to set out minimum standards for ensuring the safety of persons using and those affected by SUA/Drone activity undertaken by SKDC and its officers only. This was designed to reduce the risk of works at height and reduce the time and cost of works of associated works.

The policy was designed to ensure compliance with the CAA guidance and increase the safety of officers consequently reducing the risk profile of the organisation.

Any works not within scope must be raised with the corporate safety team and Data and Governance Officer for review of the proposal. The addition of any workstreams required an update of Policy and approval from the appropriate scrutiny committee / Cabinet.

During discussions, Members commented on the following:

-       Clarification was sought about the use of the drones and the governance measures in place. It was confirmed to be for the permitted uses listed explicitly within the policy and in emergency response situations. A Member suggested including a more comprehensive list of uses in order to streamline the process and prevent the policy needing committee approval to add additional uses.

-       A Member requested that the policy be reviewed at the Governance & Audit Committee following its implementation to monitor it’s effectiveness. The Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead agreed that the policy would be reviewed at least annually by the appropriate committee.

-       A Member sought clarification about how the policy coincided with local airfields and no-fly zones. It was confirmed that any drone operators would be required to plan flights around the no-fly zones and all drone use needed to be planned in advance.

-       Regarding unlawful activity, the Head of Service (Public Protection) noted that any targeted work would need to link with RIPA policy in line with court authorisation.

-       A visiting Member expressed scepticism about the storage of the footage, expressed concern about bystanders being included within footage, and didn’t want this to become the first step of a reliance on drone use.

-       In the event that neighbours disagreed on the use of drones around the immediate vicinity of their property, the Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead noted that he would consult with the GDPR professionals.

Following discussions, it was proposed, seconded, and AGREED to recommend the Small Unmanned Aircraft (Drone) Policy to Cabinet for approval, with the amendment incorporated that neighbouring residents would be notified prior to drone use around the immediate vicinity of their property.