Surprisingly I have just received the following response to my FoI request:
In processing your request, we liaised with colleagues within Community Cohesion as they would hold the information in relation to your request were this information to be held by the council.
We can confirm that the information requested is held by the council. The information you requested is detailed below.
Please note that at the recent BHCC Cabinet Meeting, Members agreed not to proceed with the drone PSPO. In response to your questions:
1. The number of drone-related incidents, complaints, or reports recorded by the council and/or Sussex Police relating to Brighton & Hove for each of the last five years.
Response: None received
2. For each incident: a brief description of the nature of the incident (e.g. proximity to people, playgrounds, wildlife disturbance, privacy complaint, near-miss with aircraft), and the location (park/open space name, or general area).
Response: N/A
3. Of those incidents, how many involved drones being flown in a manner that did not comply with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules, as opposed to compliant flights that were merely the subject of a complaint.
Response: N/A
4. How many incidents resulted in a police report, a fixed penalty notice, criminal proceedings, or a criminal conviction, and under what legislation.
Response: N/A
5. Any underlying data, reports, or correspondence referenced or relied upon in preparing the cabinet report of 29 June 2026 recommending the drone element of the PSPO.
Response: None held
6. Whether any alternative approaches were considered before proposing a blanket restriction on take-off and landing (for example, permits for registered CAA operators, or restrictions targeted at specific sites with a demonstrated history of incidents), and if so, why they were not taken forward.
Response: The PSPO is for no unauthorised drones to take off/land on public open spaces. Drones therefore could be authorised with council permission
7. Any equality impact assessment or economic impact assessment carried out in relation to the proposed drone restriction, including consideration of licensed commercial operators.
Response: No data held
So in five years the council and the police received zero complaints relating to drone-related incidents in Brighton and Hove. Not even one in five years.
So why spend time and money consulting on proposals relating to a problem that doesn’t exist? It’s baffling.