Rugby council officers are to deploy an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to survey fly tipping sites and investigate planning enforcement breaches.
The borough council’s cabinet approved the purchase of a quadcopter along with training for officers to use it safely. The council said the use of the UAV will allow officers to survey unsafe buildings, inspect parks and open spaces.
Furthermore, the UAV will also enable the investigation of environmental crime more quickly and safely. Aerial reconnaissance will allow teams to inspect previously inaccessible sites.
Derek Poole, Rugby borough council portfolio holder for regulation and safety, said: “Drones can provide a highly efficient and effective mechanism to improve services while reducing costs and health and safety risks.
“Activities that previously took days to complete, or areas that were impossible for officers to access, can be surveyed within hours.
“It is important that our communities know how we will use the images we collect, however, so we will publish our deployment policy and details of how we will protect residents’ privacy.”
Deployment of the drone will comply with CAA regulations, with the council adding its use will be monitored for compliance with the Data Protection Act to protect the privacy of residents.
