Mote Park, Maidstone

Does anyone know if there is any restriction on flying drones in Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent?

Thanks for your information.

Hi Rick.

Check out Drone Scene

Quick search bought up this.

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Thank you for the reply.

However, I just realised that I should have said that I have the Mini 2, so A1 category.

I know there are places in Mote Park that get very few people, not enough to constitute a crowd.

What the Drone Scene map, and NAT Drone Assist don’t tell you is if there is any local by-law or prohibition about take off and landing drones in the park. All they tell you is that it’s a park.

More importantly, they’ll tell you if there are any airspace restrictions in the area you intend to fly in.

Which is kinda important to know :blush:

Sadly, until councils move away from 30 year old documents that they scanned in to PDF 10 years ago and occasionally put on their web site, no service provider can ever tell you that :confused:

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Which is why I’m asking the community on here.

I hoped that someone, with knowledge of Maidstone, may have looked into local by-laws and be able to give me a straight forward ‘Yes, you can fly there’ or ‘No, you can’t’ answer.

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Well, I went to Mote Park today and had a good look around the park entrance for any information about drone operations. I couldn’t find any prohibition on their use so I proceeded to spend an enjoyable hour or so flying.
I also saw another UAV flying over the area I was flying in, though I couldn’t see the pilot.
I guess that means there is no problem with local by-laws there. :slight_smile:

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often times in parks and things you can use google street view and see signs at the entrance to parks

Appreciate this is a late reply but I submitted an FOI request to Maidstone Borough Council who advises that (and provided) there are bylaws in place prohibiting the take off and landing of any powered model aircraft which includes drones from any of their parks other than a designated place in Mangravet Park. I’m quite surprised by this. Has anyone come a dropper to this yet in Maidstone parks?

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Hi @CitizenPhaid, it looks as though you’re quite new here :wave:t2:

Why not nip over to the Introductions page, and say hello properly and tell us a bit about yourself. :+1:t2:

Interesting that the following foi states they have no byelaws relating to drone flights

Byelaws relating to UAV Flights - a Freedom of Information request to Maidstone Borough Council - WhatDoTheyKnow

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Interesting indeed. I’ll drop in the detail but they were quite specific. When able I will upload the files and link to the actual response.

Maidstone Borough Council
Freedom of Information Act Request
Ref: FOI/10608
Date: 19th December 2023
Request and Response

  1. Does MBC have any bye laws in place which either restrict or forbid
    the take off or landing of sub 249g drones from any of their parks (for
    instance but not limited to Mote Park)?
    Yes.
  2. If any such by laws exist please would you provide me with a copy or
    link to the documents outlining the bye law.
    See attached document, titled Bylaws Relating to Parks & Open Spaces. Bylaws
    36,37 & 38 are relevant.
  3. Other than flights clearly being forbidden over Maidstone Prison (in
    accordance with the CAA Air Navigation Order) does MBC have any by
    laws which would restrict or prohibit the take off or landing of sub 249g
    drones from any public areas of Maidstone Borough including the town
    centre? As a caveat to this question this would be on the understanding
    that the CAA rules under article 241 of the ANO and the Drone Code
    were being adhered to.
    See attached document, titled Bylaws Relating to Parks & Open Spaces. Bylaws
    36,37 & 38 are relevant.
    Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act we have a duty to advise
    and assist. I can advise that in addition to the provisions set out in the bylaws,
    consideration is given to whether the drone is being flown in an anti-social way
    or in a way so as to give rise to a nuisance, with officers using the relevant
    powers under the Anti-social Crime and Policing act 2014 and the Environmental
    Protection Act 1990 as appropriate and necessary.
  4. If any such by laws exist related to question 3 please would you
    provide me with a copy or link to the documents outlining the bye law.
    See attached document, titled Bylaws Relating to Parks & Open Spaces. Bylaws
    36,37 & 38 are relevant.
  5. Does MBC have any strategies, policies or procedures in place with
    regard to either the recreational or commercial use of drones from
    council land including open spaces.
    No
  6. If any such strategies, policies or procedures exist in relation to
    question 5 please would you provide me with a copy or link to the
    documents outlining the bye law.
    Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, we are writing to
    advise you that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, we have
    established that the information you requested is not held by this Council. This is
    because no such strategies, policies or procedures exist.
  7. If the council has any strategies, policies, procedures or bye laws in
    place in relation to the recreational or commercial flight of drones from
    or over its council properties or land including open spaces and parks
    does the council have legal advice confirming go that those strategies,
    policies, procedures or bye laws are either aligned with CAA regulations,
    enforceable and/or accurate. If such legal advice exists please provide
    me with a copy of this or link to where it can be read.
    Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, we are writing to
    advise you that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, we have
    established that the information you requested is not held by this Council. This
    is because we do not have any such legal advice.

Obviously the point around Aircraft is irrelevant I know.

Aircraft
35. No person shall, except in case of emergency or with the consent of the Council, take
off from or land in the ground in an aircraft, helicopter, hang-glider or hot-air balloon.
Power-driven model aircraft
36. In byelaw 37 and 38:
“model aircraft” means an aircraft which either weighs not more than 7 kilograms
without its fuel or is for the time being exempted (as a model aircraft) from the
provisions or the Air Navigation Order;
“power driven” means driven by the combustion of petrol vapour or other combustible
vapour or other combustible substances or by one or more electric motors or by
compressed gas.
MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL BYELAWS
PARKS AND OPEN SPACES
Page 10 of 20 19/12/23
37 No person shall fly any power-driven model aircraft in the pleasure ground except in
that part of the pleasure ground know as Mangravet Recreation Ground, which has,
by a notice conspicuously exhibited in such pleasure ground, been set apart by the
Council for the flying of power-driven model aircraft.
38. No person shall in the part of Mangravet Recreation Ground set apart by the Council
for the flying of power-driven model aircraft:-
(i) fly any power-driven model aircraft unless it is kept under effective control;
(ii) fly any power-driven model aircraft when other prearranged sporting activities
are taking place with in the ground and a notice to this effect is conspicuously
exhibited in the ground.

You got a link to this bye-law

So a bylaw exists but isn’t on their website that someone could reasonably be expected to find? I wonder how well that would stand up in court.
I can tell you however that I’ve flown FPV in Mote Park with a group of friends flying under Article 16 Operational Authorisation well away from other park goers (near the model railway loop) and the park staff weren’t bothered in the slightest. I presume the bylaw is only enforced if people don’t abide by the “don’t be a dick” life rule first.

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