I have just added this to the map of places to fly your drone at Drone Scene:
Land owner permission requirements unknown.
Park at the Vue Cinema car park as its Free Parking for 2 Hours. Walk across the carpark to the coast road. Take off on the raise walk way.
The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 25/10/2023. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location.
I want to fly here @Bradders101, have you got any other tips or advice?
Hi @Fleabag , if you are driving to the area I’d park in the NCP car park at the nearby cinema. It’s free for the first two hours. You get a lot of people on the beach area around the pier so bear in mind any impact that may have. I used a mini 4 pro when filming the pier so I could fly closer to people.
I believe the pier itself is still closed to pedestrians so it’s give you the opportunity to fly low along the pier walk way….slow cinematic shot works great. The cafe at the end is as it was when the pier was closed so it’s interesting to get shots of the inside. I’ve done two separate videos of the pier, both on my YouTube site….check them out if you get chance.
Pier looks great when you get it in totality….so try a couple of distant shots or slide back type shots where you start off close and fly back and high etc.
overall its a great place to fly….theres also the Southport boating lake nearby too.
Good luck.
Hi Bradders,
Thanks for responding. I’m really struggling with where I’m allowed to fly. There was a story last year about the local MP using drone footage - Sefton’s response included:
“Sefton Council have said they are disappointed that Damien Moore has advertised the flying of drones on Southport beach, an act which is heavily restricted and carries large financial penalties for anyone caught.”
and
“Sefton Council say they’re more concerned about the video encouraging copycat activity.
In the interests of protecting the fauna, habitats and other special features within the Sefton Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest, Seton Council does not permit the commercial or recreational use of drones anywhere along the coast, including Southport.”
As far as I can ascertain, Sefton may be overreaching here. It is true that the entire coastline is an SSSI, but it’s not necessarily ALL subject to restrictions. It seems, even if it isn’t banned, Sefton are treating as if it is.
Hi Fleabag. Just reading SC’s document on drone usage and it indicates that their policy may apply to activity undertaken on their land….” drone activity when operated from land under our ownership”. Not sure if this applies if you were to take off from public land ie the nearby pavement or walk way.
Let me know how you get on.
National Trust do the same.
Neither of their “policies” are worth the paper they’re written on.
This is all you need:
Thank you for this. Excuse my ignorance, but I need one last point of clarification which I think will help me understand this more broadly moving forward… Does the council not own things like the walkways, etc? Is that technically public land that they maintain?
