Fears over ‘spies in the sky’ after council admits using drones

'Spies in the sky': The council admitted using two drones to check on planning application sites
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Council officials in Epping Forest spent £5,000 on two drones this year to fly them over sites where owners plan building works.

The Essex council was among a dozen local authorities that have admitted buying or hiring unmanned aerial vehicles for official purposes, but campaigners have expressed concerns.

Renate Samson, chief executive of the Big Brother Watch, said today: “Councils must refrain from using this technology as flying spies in the sky.”

Epping Forest district council said the drones were available for use by its planning enforcement and emergency planning departments.

A spokesman said residents “could be alerted about possible overflying when the council wrote to inform them about the planning application”, and that any “covert operations would be covered by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000”.

The council also believed “residents were now more relaxed about aerial views of their properties”.

In Freedom of Information responses to The Daily Telegraph, other councils said drones were used to check the condition of buildings and survey dangerous structures.

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