Prohibited unmanned aircraft flights below 800 feet in a specific South Yorkshire emergency zone.
These Regulations establish a restricted airspace for unmanned aircraft in Hooton Roberts, South Yorkshire, due to an active emergency.
The order prohibits the flight of any unmanned aircraft below 800 feet above mean sea level within a 0.5 nautical mile radius of a specified central coordinate.
These restrictions apply to all unmanned aircraft operators, with the exception of those flying under the specific direction of the South Yorkshire Police.
Arguments For
The Secretary of State asserts that these restrictions are necessary for reasons affecting the public interest due to an emergency having arisen in the specified area.
The regulations are intended to be temporary in nature and will be revoked once the emergency has passed, according to the explanatory note.
The document specifies that South Yorkshire Police may grant directions for flights, allowing for authorized unmanned aircraft operations within the restricted zone.
Arguments Against
The regulations do not specify the nature of the emergency, which may lead to uncertainty for local residents or drone operators regarding the necessity of the restrictions.
Operators of unmanned aircraft may face immediate legal liability for flights within the radius if they were unaware of the regulations, as they came into force with immediate effect at 2:00 a.m.
The document does not provide a specific end date for the restrictions, making the duration dependent on future administrative revocation.
Citation and commencement
- These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Hooton Roberts, South Yorkshire) (Emergency) Regulations 2026 and come into force with immediate effect.
This section establishes the official name of the statutory instrument and mandates that the rules apply immediately upon the signing of the document.
The regulations were made and became active at 2:00 a.m. on 9 August 2026.
Restricted airspace
No unmanned aircraft is to fly below 800 feet above mean sea level over the area specified in Column 1 of the Schedule, being an area bounded by a circle of the radius specified in Column 2 and centred on the position specified in Column 3.
These Regulations do not apply to any unmanned aircraft flying in accordance with directions given by South Yorkshire Police.
These sections prohibit the operation of drones and other unmanned aircraft at altitudes lower than 800 feet within the designated emergency zone.
The zone is defined as a circle with a 0.5 nautical mile radius around the coordinates provided in the schedule.
An exception is created for aircraft operating under the instructions of South Yorkshire Police, typically to facilitate emergency response or surveillance.
SCHEDULE
Regulation 2
Table 1
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | |---|---|---| | Specified area | Radius of circle | Position of centre of circle (latitude and longitude) | | Hooton Roberts, South Yorkshire | 0.5 nautical mile | 5328254N 0011719W |
The schedule provides the precise geographic boundaries for the flight restrictions.
It defines the area as a half-nautical mile circle centered at 53°28'25"N and 001°17'19"W in Hooton Roberts, South Yorkshire.
Related
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