As the Times is firewalled, here is the text of the story:
Drones and heritage chiefs in battle for Britain’s skies
They are the most spectacular monuments, landscapes, castles and stately homes that Britain has to offer. And for a growing band of amateur drone pilots, their majesty is only increased when viewed from the air.
The enthusiasm of a new generation of drone operators for bird’s-eye photos is not shared by the owners of sites they wish to photograph. Yet there appears to be little that those entrusted to look after landmarks can do to stop the buzzing overhead.
English Heritage, which is responsible for Stonehenge, has banned the use of unmanned aerial vehicles over all its sites without approval, saying that they pose a risk to sensitive historic sites as well as to people visiting them. It has recorded about 250 unauthorised drone flights over the past three years.
Drone operators are pushing back, pointing out that landowners do not own the airspace and that if pilots wait until sites close and visitors leave, they are not breaking any rules provided they take off from a public footpath and stay 50 metres away from structures.
Ian Wells, 49, a City business analyst from Chelmsford, Essex, is a hobbyist who has used a drone to film Avebury stone circle, Silbury Hill and the Hackpen white horse in Wiltshire.
He said: “They can’t prohibit drones flying over any more than they could a small plane, paraglider or hot air balloon. We don’t ban cars because of a few idiots who break the speed limits and equally the tiny minority who fly drones inappropriately should not ruin the fun for the majority.”
Other sites that attract drone pilots include Portchester Castle in Hampshire, Conisbrough Castle in South Yorkshire and Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall. The National Trust has a similar blanket ban on drone flights at its properties without approval. Trust coastlines that attract drone pilots include Giant’s Causeway in Co Antrim, Birling Gap in East Sussex and Blakeney in Norfolk.
In comments posted under Mr Wells’s footage online, fellow drone users discussed plans to film sites and asked for tips. Some discussed fine details of public paths and take-off spots.
Many hobbyists want to share their photographs and videos on Instagram, and other social media sites. Some, drones however, are operated by professional photographers who sell their images for £500 each or more. Mr Wells said: “English Heritage allow you to pay them an extortionate fee to shoot video after-hours. It’s a shame that they don’t offer members out-of-hours slots at more reasonable rates, like they allow members to walk among the stones at Stonehenge after hours.”
English Heritage and the National Trust cite Civil Aviation Authority rules that say drones are not permitted to be flown within 50 metres of any structure or person, or within 30 metres of any person other than the pilot during take-off or landing. They also say that data protection laws mean aerial photographs could breach people’s privacy.
A handful of National Trust houses are particularly sensitive: Osterley and Cliveden are under Heathrow’s airspace and Dunham Massey is near Manchester airport. Many properties also have owners, staff or tenants in residence.
Jon Livesey, English Heritage security adviser, said: “When authorised and used by fully trained pilots, under the strict guidelines of the CAA, drone footage can be a valuable tool within the heritage sector, allowing for spectacular and informative views of historic sites. We want to get the message out that unauthorised use carries considerable risks to visitors, to staff and to the very buildings that the hobbyist pilots are seeking to celebrate.”
A National Trust spokesman said: “Few non-commercial users have the correct training or permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to operate drones and should a drone cause damage or harm, pilots generally do not have the correct insurances to compensate those affected. Drones should not be flown over people and as much of our land is open access we cannot guarantee an area is ever completely empty . . . The special nature of our properties makes the risk of damage more severe.”