Drone use within the Council - Find a freedom of information request

1. How do you use drones within the council?

2. What steps are taken to ensure privacy is maintained with the uses of drones?

a) Relating to this, how much of the space above a homeowner's property do they have jurisdiction over? (i.e. does a homeowner have any rights when it comes to drones flying over private property?)

3. What ethical considerations, if any, do you have to consider when using drones?

4. How are drones being incorporated into local governance in Lincolnshire?

5. As the technology advances, what new uses of drones can be used in local governance? 

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. The council currently has two drone systems registered on its register of surveillance camera systems: Countryside Services - Capturing aerial footage of chalk stream projects in the Lincolnshire Wolds landscape. Balfour Beatty Drones - To capture progress of the work undertaken for transport and infrastructure services that Balfour Beatty are contracted to deliver.

2. The purpose of the drones does not include the capturing or processing of personal data. However, it may be helpful to know that if a drone was to be deployed for the purpose of capturing personal data we would undertake an Overt Public Space Surveillance System Review and a Data Protection Impact Assessment to identify and assess the specific risks that may be associated with the deployment of a surveillance camera system intended to operate within a public space.

a. No Information held

3. No information held.

However, the Data Protection Impact Assessment explained in answer 2 does ensure that the capturing of personal data is done so in line with the UK GDPR. This includes ensuring the processing of personal is lawful, fair, and transparent.

4. No information held.

5. No information held.

This authority does not have to answer your question if this would mean creating new information or giving an opinion or judgment that is not already recorded.